How much does each string of Christmas lights contribute to your energy bill?

DEPENDING on the Christmas string lights you choose, you can add an additional $10 to your monthly energy bill.

However, some other lower wattage bulbs may offer a cheaper bill.

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Most people choose from a few types of light strings: LED, incandescent, mini string lights, or large incandescent bulbs.

Lamps with large bulbs are also known as C5, C7 and C9.

To make your decision easier, this year you should consider buying low-wattage lamps, as electricity consumption is billed per kilowatt-hour.

Corresponding Data According to the US Energy Information Administration, the national average price for electricity in September 2021 was about 14 cents per kilowatt hour.

However, tariffs vary from state to state.

Here is a helpful formula When comparing the power consumption of a chain of lights, please note:

Multiply the wattage by the number of hours the lights will be on per day.

Then divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt hours (kWh).

Next, multiply the kWh by your electricity consumption cost to get the cost per day.

You can find your electricity costs on your electricity bill.

Finally, multiply the cost per day by the number of days your lights are on.

Below is a cost comparison of lamps based on 13 hours of usage per day for 30 days using the national average of $0.14 per kilowatt hour.

Mini LED Strings

The standard 300 mini white LED lights carry about 21 watts and add about $1.15 to your monthly bill.

The same style, but with incandescent bulbs, is 72 watts and costs about $3.93

Strands of large onions

For a string of 100 light 7 watt C9 LED lights it will cost you about 49 cents.

While a 25-light string of 175-watt C9 bulbs costs about $9.56 for 13 hours of usage.

For the 25-light, 21-watt, LED C7 string, your cost is about $1.15, while the 125-watt incandescent bulbs are about $6.83.

Tips for saving energy

Christmas spirit doesn’t have to cost you anything.

To keep your energy bill down this year and still enjoy the light, consider the following:

• Automatic timers for your light displays
• LED Christmas lighting over incandescent bulbs, especially for large areas
• Use extension cords in hidden areas to lengthen strands
• Always pair products with the same ampere capacity

The Sun revealed how a simple unplug trick can save you up to $165 on your electricity bill.

Also, learn how to request one-time payments of up to $3,000.