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‘Energize’ Your Holidays And Save Money with LED Lighting

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Energize your holiday with LED lighting
Author: 
Ronnie Kweller
Contact Email: 
rkweller@ase.org
Date: 
December 13, 2011

Washington, D.C., December 13, 2011 – Light up your holiday season this year without firing up your energy bills with energy-efficient LED lighting, advises the Alliance to Save Energy. LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, save both energy and money while providing a “gift” to the environment through reduced pollution.

LEDs produce light using the movement of electricity along the path of a semiconductor (a substance that can conduct a small electrical current), so there’s no filament to heat up – the component of traditional incandescent light bulbs that wastes 90 percent of their energy. They also can last around 20,000 hours, the equivalent of 40 holiday seasons of cheerful brightness!
The proof is in the numbers:

  • Decorating a six-feet tree with 280 LEDs (.04 watts each), lit 12 hours a day for 40 days, will cost only 61 cents;
  • Using 300 mini-incandescent lights (.4 watts each) will cost $6.53;
  • While using 125 standard incandescent lights (4 watts each) costs $27.21.

LEDs also are:

  • Durable: LEDs are “built tough” to last. And if one should break, the others on the string will still work.
  • Safe: LEDs stay cool, reducing the risk of fire and personal injury.
  • Easy to Use: Because LEDs use less power, it’s safe to connect multiple strings of lights without overloading the wall socket.

“Consider an energy-efficient holiday gift– the gift that keeps on giving by saving money for years to come -- to someone on your list,” suggests Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “If not cutting-edge, energy-efficient home lighting products, an ENERGY STAR qualified computer or other home electronic could be just the thing!”

More Ways to Save Energy and Money This Holiday Season and Into the New Year

  • To further maximize holiday lighting savings, use timers to limit light display hours, and don’t forget to unplug your interior holiday lights before going to bed or leaving the house.
  • If you own a smart phone, consider using energy efficiency apps that will help you save money, energy and time by monitoring and controlling your energy consumption. So, if you forgot to turn off your holiday lights, you can do it from work or while shopping for gifts for your family!
  • Look for the ENERGY STAR – the federal government’s symbol of energy efficiency – on electronics, home office equipment, appliances and other products that can save up to 30 percent on related home energy bills. Find information on the more than 60 types of ENERGY STAR qualified products at www.energystar.gov.
  • If you are traveling, drive safely and efficiently. Every five mile-per-hour increase in speed over 60 mph is like paying an additional 27 cents per gallon for gas. And speeding, rapid acceleration and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds.

Find additional home and vehicle energy tips on the Alliance’s videos produced with energyNOW!

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