Money Saving Expert has a specific tool that allows you to estimate the total cost of your festive lights by entering the type of decoration and duration of use per day
You can calculate how much your Christmas lights will cost(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
If you are planning to put up your Christmas lights soon, it may be worth finding out how much they will cost you. And Money Saving Expert, founded by consumer guru Martin Lewis, can help you calculate the amount of money you are likely to be charged.
Money Saving Expert (MSE) has shared a handy tool to help you work out the cost of your Christmas lights this year. The tool allows people to input the type of decoration, duration of use per day, and the number of days, before providing an estimated total cost.
For instance, according to MSE, a string of LED lights with between 500 and 1000 bulbs, left on for eight hours a day over a fortnight, will set you back around 18p. However, if the lights are traditional incandescent bulbs rather than LEDs, this figure leaps to roughly £1.93 over the same period. This comes as ChronicleLive outlined four devices you need to ‘unplug’ now or they’ll add £141 to your energy bill, according to experts.
Regarding Christmas lights, if you’re planning on having a moving light-up decoration, like a bobbing reindeer, for the same duration, the estimated cost is “about 35p”. And for a large inflatable decoration, such as Father Christmas, MSE estimates a 44p charge for eight hours daily over two weeks, reports the Mirror.
MSE adds: “We’ve calculated this for standard light / decoration sets, so we’ve had to make some assumptions (unless you entered your own wattage) as clearly there can be a whole host of variance on specific sets. Yet we hope it illuminates the rough cost of your lights for you.”
You can try out the MSE Christmas lights calculator tool here. Meanwhile, other energy and cost-related information is available on ChronicleLive here.
Among recent advice, householders are being urged to unplug four devices in their home or face higher energy bills. This is because these appliances can quietly add extra pounds to your bill if they are left on standby.
Often called “vampire devices”, they add up over time, which means you’re paying for electricity you don’t actually benefit from. Almost two thirds (64%) of Brits admit to leaving devices on standby with over a quarter (26%) admitting to partaking in this habit daily, according to a recent study conducted by Electric Radiators Direct which surveyed 2,000 Brits to uncover energy habits across the nation.
Stephen Hankinson, energy efficiency expert from Electric Radiators Direct, has shed light on how much some common mistakes are inflating your energy bills, as well as simple ways to stop these bad habits. He says that unlike switching your devices off at the wall, leaving them on standby still uses a small amount of energy.
According to the expert, overtime, leaving devices on standby could add up to £141 a year to your household energy bills. He named four of the most expensive devices to leave on standby – game consoles, TVs, gaming PCs and desktop computers. Here’s more.
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