Energy conservation

Energy-Wise Holidays

By Rebecca Schwarz

Plastic Santas, flashing light displays, Christmas trees that wind up waiting for the trash collector—the holiday season is not exactly environmentally-friendly. Our energy bills also tend to spiral out of control, as we turn our homes into colourful displays of festivity. Your stove, oven, and dishwasher will all be running overtime, too. So how can you reduce your energy bill this holiday season? It’s easier than you think:
Lighting
Buy LED holiday bulbs. Your average holiday light uses five to seven watts per bulb, and some older strings use up to 10 watts per bulb. The new LED lights use less than half a watt per bulb. They’re also shatterproof, water resistant and safe to touch.
If you don’t like the look of LEDs, then downsize to miniature lights. These use up to 70 per cent less energy and last much longer than larger bulbs.
In the holiday rush, you might forget to turn off your lights. The solution? Automatic timers for indoor and outdoor lighting. [click to continue…]

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