How much does it cost to run the lights on my…

How much does it cost to run the lights on my Christmas tree?

Whether the decorations come out straight after Black Friday, December 1, or 12 days before Christmas, one thing on many households' minds this festive season is how much decorative lights cost to run. There's one particular type of lights shoppers should buy for if they want to save on energy costs.

As the cost of living continues to rise, many households are becoming more aware of how much energy they use around the house, whether its doing a wash cycle at a particular time, using an air fryer instead of the oven or switching off standby appliances. So as we approach December many households are looking at ways to light up the house for Christmas, as cost-effective as possible.

This £9.99 set of 200 LED lights on Amazon is not only one of the cheapest available, but they are a lot cheaper to run compared to lights with a standard 'steady on' or 'in-wave' setting. The average 7ft tree 'needs' around 210 lights so cutting costs will soon add up for shoppers with more than one tree.

The latest research from Which shows just how much the average set of tree lights cost to run, which may influence the type shoppers buy for their homes. The average set of LED string lights cost just under a penny per day (over six hours), or around 56p for a whole two month period.

When comparing a range of festive lights, Which found the specific 'twinkling-flashing' setting to be a lot more cost effective. Saving around 36p for a two month period, compared to lights used on the standard 'on' setting which use around 56p.

It's safe to say it's a lot less money than some may expect, especially when compared to the cost of running the average fridge freezer, at just under £300 each year per appliance. But choosing a set of lights with a intermitant setting will be the cheapest for shoppers to have on each day.

As-well as the £9.99 set on Amazon, another cost-efficient set is The Christmas Workshop Lights from B&Q. Reduced to £12.49 the set has a 'Twinkling-Flashing' setting shoppers can choose for the cheapest light option. The product is also listed with an A energy label, meaning it's one of the most efficient products.

Of course, battery operated lights are another cost-effective alternative for shoppers, although you do have to factor in the cost of batteries over the whole festive period, it may be best if you only put your tree lights on at night. These LED Battery Lights are a good option from B&Q (£22.49) or these £18.99 Amazon Choice LED Lights.