LEDs consume far less electricity than incandescent bulbs, and decorative LED light strings such as Christmas tree lights are no different.
Not only do LED holiday lights consume less electricity, they are also safer, sturdier, longer lasting, and easier to install. Here’s why:
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- Safer: LEDs are much cooler than incandescent lights, reducing the risk of combustion or burnt fingers.
- Sturdier: LEDs are made with epoxy lenses, not glass, and are much more resistant to breakage.
- Longer lasting: The same LED string could still be in use 40 holiday seasons from now, incandescent bulbs typically last just a few seasons. LEDs are great to use in arrangements, as the lights work year after year.
- Easier to install: Up to 25 strings of LEDs can be connected end-to-end without overloading a wall socket (check the box to be sure). Be careful with incandescents though, as no more than three strings are usually recommended per strand!
Lighting Costs for Your Six-Foot Tree
Let’s assume you decorate your six- foot tree around Thanksgiving and enjoy seeing the lights illuminated on your Christmas tree every day until a bit after New Year’s Day. That’s having the lights on for 12 hours a day for about 40 days.
Let’s assume you enjoy either 50 of the C-9 (big bulb) lights or 200 of the mini-lights on your tree, and that electricity costs $ .119 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the 2012 residential average.
The cost to operate the C-9 bulbs for the season would therefore cost about $10.00 for the incandescent lights, and just $0.27 for the big bulbs if they are LED. At the same time, mini lights would cost $2.74 to operate if they are traditional bulbs, and just $0.82 if they are LED.
We agree, based on these assumptions, the difference is most substantial if you use the larger lights. They take more electricity to produce light, and also produce heat (an additional hazard).
Estimated Cost for Operating Lights for 10 Holiday Seasons*
Extrapolate the use of the lights over 10 years and the difference really adds up! The C-9 LED lights will cost less than $3 to operate, while the incandescent C-9 strands will cost over $100! The incandescent light strands will require at least two replacements as well. This adds up to them being nearly TEN TIMES more costly than LEDs!
LEDs are much less expensive to operate. Why not get started with LED now?
*Assumes 50 C-9 bulbs and 200 mini-lights per tree, with electricity at $0.119 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (AEO 2012 Residential Average). Life span assumed to be three seasons (1,500 hours) for non-LED lights.