How Much Do Christmas Lights Add To Your Power Bill?
Christmas lights are displayed on houses in Trinity Close in Burnham-on-Sea on December 6, 2018 in Somerset, England. For over eleven years, the residents of Trinity Close, dubbed 'Britains most festive street have decorated their homes and gardens with more than a 100,000 colourful Christmas lights. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
This past weekend was a big one for folks putting up their Christmas lights. No one can complain that the first weekend of December is too early. I’ve had mine up since the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but I had the time and the weather was good. Those are the two key criteria for me.
I suppose since I lit up my house with holiday lights early this year, I’ll end up paying more on my power bill that someone who waited until December. But not that much. According to NewsNation, it all comes down to which type of lights you use – LED or incandescent.
Assuming the lights are on for six hours a day over 30 days, a string of LED lights will cost less than a dollar. But a similar-sized string of incandescent lights will cost about $3-5 over the same time span. Multiply that by how many strands of lights you use, and you can figure out the impact on your bill.
I use LED lights that stay on for eight hours a day, so I’m probably adding about $10-12 to my monthly bill. That’s a small price to pay for some added holiday cheer in the neighborhood. And unless you’re putting up a display of Griswoldian proportions that can be seen from the International Space Station, your power bill probably won’t be sky high either.
10 Family Friendly Christmas Day Trips In The Carolinas
Christmas is coming and it’s time to start making plans. If you’re like me you are now fully immersed in the holiday spirit. If you’re looking for some fun family-friendly Christmas events around the Carolinas we’ve got you covered. We’ve told you about all the events happening locally in the immediate Charlotte area (and boy are there a lot of them!). But for this list, I want to zero in on family-friendly Christmas trips you can take in the Carolinas. A couple of these I would consider “local” but others are a short drive. They are perfect for a day (or night) trip and are easily doable without a hotel stay. Though you can’t go wrong with a full weekend getaway this time of year either! Each attraction on this list is one of the top holiday destinations in North or South Carolina (or both). They are the perfect opportunities to make life-long memories with your family that you will treasure forever. So grab your kids, jump in the car, and have a good old-fashioned family Christmas. It’s what the season is all about after all. Merry Christmas!
Here are 10 of our favorite family-friendly Christmas trips in the Carolinas:
Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.
