With many people spending the holidays at home this year, Dominion Energy South Carolina is sharing five tips for staying safe and saving energy this holiday season.
“The easiest tip to save energy and money with holiday lighting is to replace old incandescent lights with LED lights,” said Ginger Greenway, manager of energy information services for Dominion Energy South Carolina. “LED lighting is also cooler than incandescent bulbs, lowering the risk of fire and personal injury.”
Dominion Energy South Carolina encourages customers to follow these top-five tips for holiday lighting safety and energy savings:
1. Buy LED lights. Energy Star-certified LED string lights use about 75 percent less energy than traditional bulbs and last about 10 times longer. Look for rebates and seasonal coupons on energy-efficient lights at your local hardware and department stores.
2. Plan your layout. Arrange your decorations so that no outlet is overloaded, and no cords will be pinched by furniture or positioned under rugs. When appropriate, use advanced power strips (APS), which include built-in features that significantly reduce the amount of energy used when not in use.
3. Read labels: Be sure to check each product label or packaging to see whether the lights are intended for indoor or outdoor use. Make sure lights have a tag indicating a recognized testing laboratory has evaluated them.
4. Reduce usage. Set timers for lights to turn on and off automatically. Leaving holiday lights on during broad daylight increases your energy usage and reduces the life of the light bulbs in your decorations. Only turn on displays when it is dark or when passersby will most appreciate them.
5. Get reflective. Shiny ornaments, tinsel and mirrors can multiply the lighting effects without using more energy.
For more energy-saving tips, visit DominionEnergySC.com/energytips. Additional safety tips can be found on the Electrical Safety Foundation International website, esfi.org.
