SAVE MONEY AND KEEP HOLIDAY TWINKLES

Save money: Holiday twinkles can pile up on your light bill.
by Ken Sheinkopf -McClatchy-Tribune News Service
I think everyone who watched Chevy Chase put 25,000 lights on his home in National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" with the spinning electric meter and lights dimming around the neighborhood has to wonder just how much energy is used for holiday lighting.
The latest study I've seen that looked at the lighting use of 185 homes before and after the holiday season found an average increase of around $13 for every month the lights were used. Not a terribly high amount of money, maybe, but one that could be cut nearly in half by not leaving he lights on all night.
However, keep in mind that this is for the "average" home, and if you're someone who takes holiday lighting to the extreme, then this bill could easily be a lot bigger.
One way to reduce energy costs is by using LED holiday lighting systems that can cut per-bulb energy significantly. Just as compact fluorescents can dramatically lower your home's lighting bill, these and other energy-efficient holiday lights can save money during the holiday time. LEDs use a fraction of the energy that traditional incandescents use and last thousands of hours.
One other tip is to dim the lights in a room if you're lighting a Chanukah menorah. Each day another candle is lit, you'll need less electric lighting in the room.
Before you say that $25 or so isn't too bad for a couple of months of decoration, keep in mind my motto that "little things add up".
An increase in holiday lighting costs, setting the thermostat a degree or two higher in winter or lower in summer, leaving fans and appliances on in empty rooms, and all of a sudden your utility bill is double what you paid last month. I'm not saying that you shouldn't decorate your home, but that y ou look for energy-efficient lights to do it.
Wouldn't a low energy bill be a terrific gift to get this year?
Hope these hints will save you some money. Please comment or email your thoughts to wagerton@hotmail.com. Happy savings!!!