Festive saving hacks revealed: Seven savvy ways to cut the costs of Christmas lights

Festive fans are being advised on how to enjoy the magic of Christmas without having to deal with the shocking costs of leaving the Christmas lights on.

The penny-pinching pros at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have found seven smart ways for households to make the most of their Christmas lights for a fraction of the price.

While many Christmas lovers are desperate to decorate the house and put up the tree, households may be unaware of the true costs of switching the seasonal lights on during the festive period.

With energy bills rising amid the cost-of-living crisis, having the lights on throughout the next month can rake up the monthly bills and make it more difficult to enjoy the delight of gleaming decorations.

Making simple changes such as the colour of the Christmas lights and tracking the time of when they’re switched on and off can help cut the costs of a high electric bill.

John Stirzaker, online consumer expert at NetVoucherCodes.co.uk: “The moment you turn on the Christmas lights officially marks the start of the holiday season and will help to get you in the festive spirit.

“While it’s a joyous occasion, the rising costs of energy bills impacting households across the UK means having the lights on can result in a big cost at the end of the season.

“We wanted to find helpful ways to help people cut the costs of leaving the lights on so everybody can decorate to their heart’s content – from switching to battery operated lights and timing when they turn on and off by aligning them with sunset.

“Whether you like to put the Christmas tree up on December 1st or follow the traditional rule of waiting until the first Sunday in December, using these helpful tips can significantly cut the costs of high electric bills throughout the whole festive season.”

Here are seven hacks from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk to cut the costs of Christmas lights:

Shop around for the lights

Shop around by heading down to multiple supermarkets to compare the prices, or if you have a blue light card – check where it’s eligible and make sure to make the most of the discount. Garden centres are also a hidden gem for decorations and you could find yourself grabbing a bargain.

Use Black Friday deals 

The sales weekend before December is the perfect opportunity to grab all the Christmas bits and bobs – including decorative lights to celebrate the seasonal fun. Sign up early to special offers to grab 20-30% off packages on Christmas lights to get ahead early to help cut down on the costs.

Hold off from coloured lights

Surprisingly, the colour lights you select to decorate with can have a slight impact on your monthly costs. Blue LED lights are used with more expensive materials in production to achieve the standout colour, so it’s probably best to stick to warm whites to save on the pennies.

Time the lights with sunset

Once you’ve bought the lights, it’s important to keep track of how often they’re turned on, otherwise it can lead to quite an expensive month. If you check your weather app to look at the time for sunset, use this period to automatically turn on the lights and keep them on throughout the evening. Make sure to switch them off before bed otherwise the Christmas cheer will be wasted – and so will the amount of energy you’ll use!

Switch to batteries

Buying a £2 pack of batteries to last the month can work out nearly 5x cheaper, compared to plug-in lights. If you’re switching on the lights for long periods of time, it will gradually build up the costs and can save an extra tenner in your monthly electric bills.

Make the most of existing lighting

If you’ve already got some fairy lights in your home, you could wrap them around the tree to still achieve a winter wonderland look without having to fork out on buying the lights and the running costs that come with them, as you’re simply moving the lights from one room to another.

Use alternative options

If you’re particularly worried about splurging on Christmas lights and the energy they use, have a look at different ways to light up the space. Battery controlled light-up baubles or even sprinkling glitter over decorations to make them shine can have an equally stunning effect.

For more ways to save over the festive period, head over to https://www.netvouchercodes.co.uk/

ENDS