Make your home a holiday wonderland of savings
As the holiday season gets underway, you might be excited to get those lights up so your house can twinkle all December long. But hanging lights can be a dangerous task if not done with safety in mind.
Before you start stringing lights, remember these important safety tips:
- Do not use frayed wires
If you notice cords or wires are frayed or worn out, be sure to get rid of them. While checking holiday lighting wires, check your extension cords as well.
- Do not overload circuits
Avoid plugging multiple cords into one circuit, as this could lead to the circuit overheating and could put your home in danger.
- Don’t staple lights to your roof
Stapling down light strings to your roof is not a good idea, as it could damage your roof and lead to leaks inside your home. Instead, use plastic clips, which you can find at your local hardware store.
- Use GFCIs for outdoor lights
Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) can help prevent you from being shocked by automatically turning off power quickly. Be sure to use them when lighting your home.
- Look for and replace broken bulbs
Hanging broken bulbs could lead to electrocution. Be sure to look for broken bulbs on the strings and replace them when needed.
Conservation tips
Along with safety, keep conservation in mind while buying new lights to keep your electric bill low during the holiday season.
- Invest in LED lighting
LED lights are not only brighter than your older lights, but they also can use up to 80% less energy. And they don’t overheat easily.
- Use a timer
Reduce wasted hours of use by plugging your lights into an automatic timer. This can turn the lights off at the time you set.
- Turn off lights in your home
A festive way to use less energy in your home during the holiday season is by turning off the lights in your house and having the holiday lights strung on your roof and on your Christmas tree to illuminate the rooms.
