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Holiday Lighting Can Be Festive and EnergyEfficiency
Did you know that holiday lighting can add more than $100 dollars to your electric bill in less than 30 days?
It’s the same each year; place a few candelabras in the windows, string a hundred bulbs inside the home and several hundred outside, plug them in and watch your electric meter spin. Standard holiday lights consume between 4 and 7 watts of electricity per bulb. It’s festive, but, not very efficient. However, you can be festive and also energy efficient by replacing standard holiday lighting with LED (light emitting diodes), compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, minilights and fiber optic holiday displays. They will provide the same level of holiday cheer, at a significantly lower cost.
LEDs have been around for years. They provide high quality, durable, and safe lighting with low energy consumption, using just 0.04 watts per light. LED’s come in a wide variety of colors, can be strung in long lengths and when one bulb burns out, the entire strand keeps working, making replacement easy. New in many retail stores, is an artificial tree outfitted with fiber optic lighting in the branches. With one small light bulb and optional color wheel, beautiful light is transmitted through the fibers with none of the heat.
Mini-lights are very popular and consume 0.4 watts, come in long lengths for in and outdoor use, with many colors to suit any festive need. You will also find CFLs, with a minibase, to fit into candelabras and small holiday displays providing bright, warm light.
Questions regarding holiday lighting, and other energy-saving tips for your home and business can be answered by visiting the New York Energy $martSM website, www.GetEnergySmart.org or by calling 1-877-NY-SMART.
The New York Energy $martsM Program is provided via a partnership between the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Public Service Commission (PSC).
For additional information call Cornell Cooperative Extension at 845-278-6738.
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