How To Upgrade Your Christmas Lights (& Save Money At The Same Time)

If you celebrate Christmas or decorate with outdoor lights during the holiday season, you will probably have noticed that your electric bill jumps a bit during this, making it one of the most expensive times of the year when it comes to energy costs. But if your purse strings have tightened a bit — or you're just trying to be a bit more frugal — that doesn't mean you have to go full Scrooge and ditch the lights altogether. There are a couple ways that you can save money on lights, both now and for Christmases yet to come.

One of the best alternatives to regular lights are LED lights. To get more insight, Hunker spoke exclusively to expert Dan Mock, vice president of operations at Mister Sparky. "You know by now that LED holiday lights use a fraction of the electricity of standard incandescent lights. But it can be hard to let go of those old-fashioned lights, especially if they're still in good working order," said Mock. "But the end of the season is a great time to reassess and make a decision to upgrade before next year." 

If your current lights have already died out, however, you can go ahead and make a decision pronto, especially if you have already started researching ideas for Christmas lights both in and outdoors. The good news is that if you want a cozy nostalgic look, there are a ton of LED holiday light styles out there ... including large vintage colored bulbs.

LED lights are some of the most popular options as they consume a whopping 80 to 90% less energy than incandescent light bulbs. Not only do they use less energy, but they also last significantly longer with an approximated 10,000 hours rather than 3,000 hours for non-LED lights. That said, LED lights can cost a bit more upfront: with an estimated incandescent lights can cost $4 to $10 per strand, while a string of LED Christmas lights range from $6 to $25 each. But if you take into account the energy saved as well as the longevity of LEDs, you will end up saving quite a bit more in the long run.

But there is also another money-saving option to consider. "The only thing better than cheap is free, so while you're thinking about lighting upgrades, don't forget solar power," Mock told Hunker in an exclusive interview. "Solar-powered LED holiday lights exist in almost as many styles as their plug-in counterparts, and they won't cost you a penny more than what you pay for them. And because there's nothing to plug in, solar lights give you the flexibility to string them up far away from the nearest electrical outlet." 

So, yes, this is a good Christmas light alternative for people without an outdoor outlet. Of course, these string lights will only work with access to direct sunlight, so don't stock up on solar-powered string lights for your indoor tree.