Last Updated: Aug 2, 2020
Christmas is just around the corner, and who can resist decking the halls, walls, and every exterior feature of their home with bright, twinkling lights?
Christmas lights aren’t just a decoration. They’re a family activity, a celebration, a statement of your creativity, and in some neighborhoods, even a competition.
While outdated incandescent lights and lighting features can run up your power bill considerably, there are many energy-efficient LED options that can make your holiday season even merrier and just as bright. And, with the growth of smart home technology, there are also dozens of new ways to decorate with smart Christmas lights!
As you light up your home, keep in mind how light pollution may impact your neighborhood and the surrounding animals. You can learn more about limiting light pollution here.
As you unpack your boxes and boxes of stored Christmas lights, pay attention to what kind they are. Chances are you’ve accumulated a variety of styles over the years, and some may be more energy-efficient than others.
For example, older three-inch incandescent C9 Christmas lights require about seven watts per bulb, amounting to roughly $176.40 in extra electricity costs if lit six hours per day for 35 days. The same three-inch LED C9 light requires just 0.09 watts at the expense of $2.27 for 35 days of festive lighting.
Like the LED light bulbs adorning your year around light fixtures, LED Christmas lights consume about 80%-90% less energy than incandescent light bulbs. Chances are, your Christmas lighting display involves a lot more than just a few light bulbs you use to light your home daily, so it makes sense to do a little pre-planning to reduce your energy consumption and winter electricity bill.
You can calculate your estimated Christmas light power consumption here.
Keep in mind that not all Christmas lights are suitable for outdoor use. The physical casing, wiring, and power supply will dictate whether your lights can withstand harsh winter weather.
And, while some Christmas lights may claim to be fine for use outside, they may still require the power supply to be kept warm and dry inside your home. Knowing which of your light strands can stand up to rain and snow will protect your home and family and keep your Christmas lights running season after season.
Below are two options in indoor-specific LED Christmas lights:
Baring the GE brand, the GE Mini LED Light Set can be found in most stores and are an excellent choice for energy-efficient festive Christmas lighting.
ZOIC LED Fairy String Lights Christmas lights can be remotely controlled with eight unique modes and will remember the last mode used.
These Christmas lights are rated for outdoor use in all weather, including rain, snow, sleet, and wind. They are safe for decorating the exterior of your home, fences, trees, and even inside.
Christmas Designers Wide Angle Conical LED Lights have a unique conical design and the light bulbs shine light in all directions for a brighter Christmas display.
Christmas Lights Etc. Wide Angle LED Lights are Similar in design to the lights by Christmas Designers. These light strands are also designed to resemble the familiar light of incandescent Christmas lights at a fraction of the energy consumption.
TaoTronics Dimmable LED String Lights have multiple lighting and dimming options that can be controlled by an IR remote.
MAXINDA Outdoor LED Christmas Lights boast low energy consumption and heat stability for an energy-efficient outdoor lighting display.
Learn more here about how different colored lights can be used to make your Christmas even merrier.
Did you know Christmas lights are now made in solar options? These lights harness the power of the sun during the day, store that energy in a battery and use it to light your home up at night. Talk about energy-efficient!
Qedertek Christmas Solar String Lights look ng just like traditional Christmas lights, these won’t cost you a penny to power.
Lumsworld Solar Christmas Star Lights make your home stand out from the block with these festive star-shaped solar Christmas lights.
If you’re looking for something snazzy and new to kick your Christmas lighting up a couple of notches and still keep your energy consumption to a minimum, look no further. These smart Christmas lights can be controlled by an app on your smartphone, Bluetooth, and even by voice through your smart speakers.
Twinkly LED String Lights are smart Christmas lights that come pre-loaded with effects as well as the ability to draw your own design. Included smartphone camera mapping makes it easy to wrap the lights and program the lighting effect afterward.
Lumenplay App-Enabled Lights Starter Set are Christmas lights that allow you to choose your own colors, effects and even coordinate your lighting with music, all from the app. Bulbs can also be replaced individually.
Brizled LED Christmas String Lights are popular smart lights that can be commanded to pulse and dance to music, dim, change speed, and group multiple strands for a cohesive Christmas lighting display.
Intended Use: Indoor and outdoor
PEULED Smart String Lights are Christmas lights that come with 20 functions, including flash, strobe, intensity, color, speed, timer, and will even pulse to ambient music.
MINGER App-Controlled Fairy Lights are festive lights that have adjustable brightness and seven preset settings, including Good Morning, Sunset, Movie, Dating, Romance, Flashing, and Candlelight.
If you already have plenty of LED Christmas lights from previous seasons, but still want to upgrade to smarter lighting, you can do it without replacing your strands.
Simply purchase a smart plug that’s compatible with your voice assistant and plug your Christmas lights right in for instant automation. This smart lighting adaption will make it possible to control your Christmas lighting by voice and even turn lights on and off when you’re away from home.
You don’t have to skip on Christmas lights to have a sustainable Christmas. LED and solar lighting has come a long way in energy efficiency so much so that you can buy LED and solar Christmas lights in a variety of colors, styles, and features. You can even create more unique lighting displays with smart Christmas lights!
Laura grew up in the California suburbs, far removed from environmentalism, but nature always has a way. She uprooted her life in 2015, moving to the countryside of Washington to live a more sustainable and simple life on 12 acres. She and her fiancee are learning on the job as they attempt everything from gardening and natural pest control to eco-friendly building and home improvement.