The holiday season is a joyful time, but it can also be a time that is positively packed with activities that consume a ton of energy. Between extensive hours running a furnace, bright holiday decorations, and extended electricity use due to reduced daylight hours, it should come as little surprise that the holiday season typically brings around some of the biggest electric bills of the year. That can throw a pretty big wet blanket over what is supposed to be a happy season to signal the end of our year.
However, the holidays don’t have to be expensive. In fact, by making a few smart decisions, you could save yourself a lot more money than you ever thought possible. How? Our electricians have a few secrets that they want to let you in on. Here are three ways you can save a ton of money on your electric bill—you might be surprised how simple they really are.
Invest in LED Decorations
Holiday lights are a great tradition that make our homes beautiful, bright, and cheerful. Whether you like just a string or two of conservative bulbs or you go all out in an attempt to make your home visible from space, these decorations are going to consume electricity. However, not all decorative lights are created equal, and likewise not all lights typically use the same amount of energy.
Compared to incandescent bulbs, LED light strands use far less energy, making them ideal for use in decorating. They are also extremely durable and can usually last for several years before needing to be replaced unless they are damaged. LED bulbs are also tremendously bright, and offer flexibility unlike what you have ever had before. Some LEDs can be wired to a simple controller that allows you to change the color, or even to have the colors repeatedly change and cycle based on a program. You can create holiday lighting that is constantly changing, making your home even more beautiful to behold! And you’ll do all of it while saving a ton of money on energy in the process.
Use Automatic Timers
Automatic timers are another secret to saving money. Have you ever awoken one morning to discover you forgot to shut your decorative lights off? That’s a lot of electricity burning overnight when nobody is up to enjoy it. Even one or two instances of this happening can be a pretty big jump in your energy bill, and that’s not something anyone wants to deal with. However, thankfully we have a solution. Automatic timers allow you to turn your lights on and off at a pre-set time every single day. More advanced timers give you the ability to program different on and off times every day, while timers with a light sensor can turn on and off based on the amount of light outside.
Finally, some timers give you the ability for automatic control and for Wi-Fi control—with internet integration, these timers can be turned on or off and even be programmed using a convenient and intuitive smartphone app. This allows you to completely customize your control over your lights, ensuring they are on when you want them, and off when it’s necessary. You can even turn them on or off from anywhere in the world, so long as you have a data connection! No more worrying about whether or not your lights are on or off when you leave the house!
Install Smart Switches
Finally, shorter days lead to a need for extra electricity for indoor lighting. However, it’s easy to forget you have accidentally left a light on and walk out of a room, meaning any lights you have turned on will stay turned on until you realize your mistake and can go shut them off again. That is, unless you have a smart switch installed. Smart switches give you the ability to turn lights on and off from anywhere, including if you’re not in the room. If you walk out of one room and forget to turn the lights off, a smart switch gives you the ability to pull out your smartphone and flip the switch from anywhere. No more wasting the effort of shuffling back upstairs just to shut off a stray light. Likewise, no more worrying about kids leaving the lights on all over the house—you can turn them off with ease and the touch of a button.
Learn more about installing any of these money-saving devices in your home this holiday season! Call Lightning Bug Electric at (404) 471-3847 today to find out more.