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Duke Energy offers holiday and seasonal money-saving tools and tips. The lights and sights of the holiday season make everything merry and bright. Before you deck the halls and transform your home into a festival of lights, calculate how your holiday displays will affect your winter energy bills.
Lighting displays are part of the timeless holiday decorating tradition and a great way to dazzle your family, friends and neighbors. To help customers plan and manage their displays, Duke Energy offers a holiday lighting energy calculator that estimates holiday lighting costs. Estimate your costs before decorating and incorporate efficient, budget-friendly lighting options.
Users can identify the types of lights, the number of 100-bulb strands and how many hours the lights will be used per day to estimate the energy cost per day and per month. Based on their lighting selections, customers can receive energy-efficient tips and options.
By comparison, six 100-bulb sets of similarly styled light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs would increase a monthly power bill by only about $7. Using six 100-bulb sets of mini-LED bulbs would increase a monthly power bill by only $1. For the holiday cost calculator, go online to duke-energy.com/lightscalculator.
As the holiday season heats up, temperatures will cool down. Help save on your winter energy bills with the following tips:
The thermostat can be the biggest contributor of high winter bills. Select the lowest comfortable setting on your thermostat when you're home, and then lower the temperature a degree or two when you leave.
Change air filters regularly. A dirty air filter makes a heating system work harder, which uses more energy.
The ceiling fan is a great way to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Simply set the fans to operate in a clockwise direction, which pushes warm air back down into the room.
Wear warm clothing for additional energy savings at home. If you're planning a holiday party this season, consider a holiday sweater theme. That way, you can bump down the thermostat a degree or two while your guests stay toasty and warm.
Having a happy holiday means having a safe holiday. Before you deck the halls, follow these tips to stay safe and happy this holiday season:
Before installing lights, check each set – new and old – for damaged sockets, loose connections and frayed or bare wires. Discard damaged sets or repair them before using.
Plug exterior lights into ground-fault interruptible (GFI) outlets only. If the home lacks outside GFI outlets, call an electrician to install them.
Before climbing a ladder, inspect it to ensure it's in good working condition, and follow the weight limits specified on the ladder and manufacturer instructions.
Never use a ladder on or near power lines or poles.
For more tips and information on how to save energy and money, visit duke-energy.com.