Yes! Don't wait another year to change your Christmas lights to all LED bulbs!
One of my largest clients as an Energy Consultant was MACY*S Department Stores. Around 1990, I introduced LED conversion kits for EXIT Sign Boxes to Macy*s Operation Managers and the conversion began almost instantly. Those same reasons for Macy*s to switch to LEDs stand true for everyone's Christmas lights today.
One of my largest clients as an Energy Consultant was MACY*S Department Stores. Around 1990, I introduced LED conversion kits for EXIT Sign Boxes to Macy*s Operation Managers and the conversion began almost instantly. Those same reasons for Macy*s to switch to LEDs stand true for everyone's Christmas lights today.
EXIT Sign with two 20 watt bulbs SAVINGS: Number One reason. Those Exit signs used two 20 watt incandescent bulbs that were on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year. The electric bill for one Exit sign in the Northeast was just under $42.00 per year. With an average of 250 signs per store, the yearly electric bill was over $10,400.00!
Switching to LEDs had a consumption of 4 watts per Exit sign. That is just $2.10 per sign and a total cost per year of only $525.60. A savings of $9,873.00!
The LED light level (output) was the same and the payback to change over to LEDs was less than 6 months! The two 20 watt bulbs would burnout around every four months and the LEDs made back in the early 1990s were rated at 60 plus years. The Exit signs with those LEDs are still working twenty plus years later, but you have to look for the old Exit signs still found in the back stock rooms. New modern looking Exit signs have replaced many of the ones on the sales floor, but that wasn't because the LEDs burned out.
FAST PAYBACK: Second reason. Today the cost for LED Christmas lights has come down and the price is even a better deal when placed on sale at the end of the season. How much can you save?
A house decorated outside and with a tree inside will use a minimum of 400 bulbs. That will be about 160 watts with the incandescent mini lights. If you have a timer running the lights from Dusk to Dawn between Thanksgiving and January 7th, your electric bill with a 14 cent Kilowatt rate will be: $94.00.
If you use LEDs consuming about 4.8 watts per 70 bulbs (total LED bulbs used 420) you will consume a total of 28.8 watts for a total electric cost of only $2.54! A savings of $91.46 in one season.
So no matter how many bulbs you are using, the savings is around 90% when comparing LEDs to Incandescent bulbs. Buying the LEDs on sale can offer you a payback on your investment in one season.
LONG LIFE: Third reason. We all had those times where the last row of lights are up, you come down the ladder and plug in the lights to only see half or none of them light up. Then that conversation starts, "Did you test the bulbs?"
"Nooo, I thought you tested the bulbs!"
"Are these the lights where if one goes out they all go out?"
"I don't know, didn't you buy them?"
"That was three years ago! I don't remember."
"Just buy those new LED lights, they last decades, not years."
Switching to LEDs had a consumption of 4 watts per Exit sign. That is just $2.10 per sign and a total cost per year of only $525.60. A savings of $9,873.00!
The LED light level (output) was the same and the payback to change over to LEDs was less than 6 months! The two 20 watt bulbs would burnout around every four months and the LEDs made back in the early 1990s were rated at 60 plus years. The Exit signs with those LEDs are still working twenty plus years later, but you have to look for the old Exit signs still found in the back stock rooms. New modern looking Exit signs have replaced many of the ones on the sales floor, but that wasn't because the LEDs burned out.
FAST PAYBACK: Second reason. Today the cost for LED Christmas lights has come down and the price is even a better deal when placed on sale at the end of the season. How much can you save?
A house decorated outside and with a tree inside will use a minimum of 400 bulbs. That will be about 160 watts with the incandescent mini lights. If you have a timer running the lights from Dusk to Dawn between Thanksgiving and January 7th, your electric bill with a 14 cent Kilowatt rate will be: $94.00.
If you use LEDs consuming about 4.8 watts per 70 bulbs (total LED bulbs used 420) you will consume a total of 28.8 watts for a total electric cost of only $2.54! A savings of $91.46 in one season.
So no matter how many bulbs you are using, the savings is around 90% when comparing LEDs to Incandescent bulbs. Buying the LEDs on sale can offer you a payback on your investment in one season.
LONG LIFE: Third reason. We all had those times where the last row of lights are up, you come down the ladder and plug in the lights to only see half or none of them light up. Then that conversation starts, "Did you test the bulbs?"
"Nooo, I thought you tested the bulbs!"
"Are these the lights where if one goes out they all go out?"
"I don't know, didn't you buy them?"
"That was three years ago! I don't remember."
"Just buy those new LED lights, they last decades, not years."
 Old Christmas Lights = Higher Electric Costs |  New Money Saving LED Christmas Lights |
So put the "JOLLY" back into the holidays and keep most of your money in your pocket by using LED Christmas lights. Your electric power company will still send you a bill, but in this case, less is much better than more. Merry Christmas.
Bill Lauto, GTG
Bill Lauto, GTG
