Save money and energy while you deck the halls
Xcel Energy offers energy and safety tips this holiday season
Decking the halls and decorating your home this holiday season doesn’t have to break the bank. Xcel Energy is sharing safety tips and breaking down the energy costs of different lights and holiday decorations.
Depending on the type and number of lights used, customers can typically save anywhere from $1 to more than $100 for holiday lights based on Colorado electric rates. Customers using a strand of 100 LED mini-lights for five hours a day will save more than 80 cents a month per strand, when compared to a strand of incandescent bulbs. One strand of 25 LED standard C7 lights used for five hours will save about $2.50 per month, while one strand of 25 LED standard C9 lights can save more than $3.50 a month (savings can vary depending on which manufacturer consumers use).
Most people use multiple strands of holiday lights for up to two months during this festive time of year, which can lead to significant savings. The money saved on 15 strands of various holiday lights used for five hours a day breaks down like this:
• LED mini-lights — more than $20
• LED standard C7 lights — nearly $65
• LED standard C9 lights — about $90
Customers on time of Use Pricing can also save on their bills by turning on their lights during the Offpeak period. On non-holiday weekdays, 3 p.m. is the start of the On-peak Pricing and 7 p.m. is the start of the Off-peak Pricing. On weekends and holidays, all hours have Off-peak Pricing. The money saved on 15 strands of various holiday lights for five hours a day with a start time of 6 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. breaks down like this:
• LED mini-lights — about $0.50
• LED C7 lights — about $1.25
• LED C9 lights — about $1.75
• Standard mini-lights — about $3
• Standard C7 lights — about $9
• Standard C9 lights — about $13
Inflatables’ energy usage varies by size. For an average inflatable, the cost to operate during the holiday season for five hours per day is about $6. Customers on Time of Use Pricing can save about $0.75 by starting at 6 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.
Always practice safety when decorating
Here are safety tips for hanging holiday lighting:
• Use electricity safely and wisely. Plan decorating and lighting ahead of time to reduce potential safety hazards.
• Use only Underwriters’ Laboratory-approved lights
and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for indoor and outdoor lighting.
• Before placing holiday lights outside on homes or trees, look up to locate any overhead power lines, then keep all objects such as ladders, and extension poles more than 10 feet away. Never toss lights near or across an overhead power line.
• Check the cords on strings of lights and replace any that are frayed or worn. Discard all that are in poor condition. Also, check for loose connections and damaged plugs or light sockets.
• Plug in lights before stringing them to determine whether any bulbs are burned out.
• Unplug lights before hanging them, and unplug them when asleep or away from home
• Avoid attaching too many light strings together and plugging them into one outlet. Refer to the manu- facturer’s instructions for recommended maximum number of strings per out- let.
• Keep lights away from combustible materials, including draperies.
• Keep lights away from metal railings and banisters, which can become energized if the wire has a short circuit. Avoid string- ing lights along aluminum siding, which can conduct electricity. Never use lights on metallic trees.
• Make sure rooftop dec- orations don’t block vents or vent pipes.