There's nothing that makes it feel quite like Christmas than the tinkling of lights over the festive season.
But with energy bills soaring amid a cost-of-living crisis, many people are worried about having to deal with the shocking costs of a high electricity bill when it arrives in January.
However, NetVoucherCodes have found seven smart ways for households to make the most of their Christmas lights for a fraction of the price.
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Money-saving tips include making simple changes such as the colour of the Christmas lights, switching to battery operated lights, and tracking the time of when they’re switched on and off.
Here are seven clever ways to cut the costs of Christmas lights:
1. Shop around
Shop around by heading down to multiple supermarkets to compare the prices of Christmas lights. Garden centres are also a hidden gem for decorations and you could find yourself grabbing a bargain.
2. Avoid coloured lights
Surprisingly, the colour lights you select to decorate with can have a slight impact on your monthly costs. Blue LED lights are used with more expensive materials in production to achieve the standout colour, so it’s probably best to stick to warm whites to save on the pennies.
3. Only turn them on after sunset
Once you’ve bought the lights, it’s important to keep track of how often they’re turned on, otherwise it can lead to quite an expensive month. Check the time for sunset, and use this to measure when to automatically turn on the lights for the evening.
Make sure to switch them off before bed otherwise the Christmas cheer will be wasted - and so will the amount of energy you’ll use!
4. Switch to batteries
Buying a €2 pack of batteries to last the month can work out nearly 5x cheaper, compared to plug-in lights. If you’re switching on the lights for long periods of time, it will gradually build up the costs and can save an extra €10 in your monthly electric bills.
5. Make the most of existing lighting
If you’ve already got some fairy lights elsewhere in your home, you could wrap them around the tree to still achieve a winter wonderland look without having to fork out on buying new lights and the running costs that come with them, as you’re simply moving the lights from one room to another.
6. Use alternative options
If you’re particularly worried about splurging on Christmas lights and the energy they use, have a look at different ways to light up the space. Battery controlled light-up baubles or even sprinkling glitter over decorations to make them shine can have an equally stunning effect.
7. Grab bargains in the sales
The sales weekend before December is the perfect opportunity to grab all the Christmas bits and bobs - including decorative lights to celebrate the seasonal fun. If you miss the pre-Christmas sales, head out in January to snap up some bargains for next year.
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