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Holiday lights produce a magical sparkle that can put anyone in a festive mood. Before you flip the switch, follow our suggestions to reduce your lighting load with seasonal energy-efficiency tips.

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Holiday lighting

Feel the glow

Reduce your lighting load and create a warm holiday ambience by lighting candles in your family gathering areas and guest bathroom. But be sure to select mildly scented candles that won't overpower your simmering cider.

Switch to LED lights

Be on the cutting edge this holiday season with light-emitting diode (LED) lights. They use about 90 percent less energy than an incandescent strand. What's more, they're shatterproof, cool to the touch and long lasting.

Use timers for lights and decorations

Use timers to limit indoor and outdoor light displays to no more than six evening hours per day.
Timers will also remove the burden of turning the lights on and off. Just make sure that the timer you use is rated to handle the total wattage of your lights.

Add style with non-electric decorations

For a truly old fashioned and energy-efficient holiday, consider decorating with edible ornaments, popcorn strings and candy canes.

Go light on yard inflatables

Decorative lawn inflatables use big lights, big motors and tend to guzzle energy. If you must have that twelve-foot snow globe or Santa, consider using less energy-intensive decorations elsewhere, such as fewer strings of lights on the tree. Or opt for lawn displays such as deer, angels or snowmen that use LED technology.

Selecting Energy-Efficient Appliances

When buying an appliance, remember that it has two price tags: what you pay to take it home and what you pay for the energy and water it uses.

For an energy-smart deal on your next appliance:

review the appliance’s EnergyGuide label
compare the energy use of competing models
look for appliances labeled with ENERGY STAR

Using EnergyGuide Labels

Yellow and black EnergyGuide labels are attached to many household appliances to help consumers determine the best energy value. Created by the Federal Trade Commission, these labels are required on all refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, water heaters, clothes washers, air conditioners and furnaces.

Although these labels will not tell you which appliance is the most efficient, they will tell you the annual energy consumption and operating cost for each appliance so you can compare them yourself.

Remember that these labels should be considered only as guides to buying appliances. The actual cost to operate an appliance will vary depending on how the appliance is used, energy pricing in the area and the appliance’s location in a home. EnergyGuide labels are not required on kitchen ranges, microwave ovens, clothes dryers, on-demand water heaters, portable space heaters and lights.

Appliances Labeled with ENERGY STAR

Products that earn the ENERGY STAR meet strict criteria set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Department of Energy. To earn the label, products must use less energy than standard products, while offering the features and quality you expect.

ENERGY STAR qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models. The money you save on your utility bills can more than make up for the cost of a more expensive but more efficient ENERGY STAR model.

ENERGY STAR qualified appliances must also carry the EnergyGuide label. EnergyGuide labels frequently note whether the product is ENERGY STAR qualified. The ENERGY STAR mark may also appear on the appliance itself or the packaging.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much of my home’s energy usage can be attributed to lighting?

Lighting accounts for about 20 percent of your home’s total energy usage, so it makes sense to use the most energy-efficient lighting available.

Take the ENERGY STAR home tour

Take a room-by-room tour of ENERGY STAR @ home and learn what you can do to save energy, money and help protect the environment.

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