Lighten up!
By: Beverly Allen - December 3rd, 2007
As electricity costs have risen over the years, and consumers have become more environmentally aware, the annual ritual of stringing coloured lights in and around the home to mark the holiday season has turned into something of a guilty pleasure. Sure they look beautiful, but those incandescent beauties are energy hogs.
Fortunately, now that LED technology has been so widely applied to seasonal lighting, the eco-friendly homeowner can wrap tiny, twinkling lights around the house with a clearer conscience.
Seasonal LED lights use 95 per cent less electricity than regular incandescent mini-lights or the older, larger bulbs, according to the Ontario Power Authority (OPA), which means they cost much less to use. For example, a 70-light string of incandescent bulbs cost about $7.70 to operate for 200 hours, while 70 LED lights will cost about eight cents to operate for the same time. They also last ten times longer than traditional bulbs, and produce very little heat, making them safer than incandescent, according to the OPA.
They’re also costlier – a string of 25 incandescent bulbs at a local mass retailer sells for $5, while 50 LED lights sell for $20. To provide incentive to consumers to switch, the OPA is offering shoppers a coupon for $2 off the price of any seasonal LED lights strings. This promotion is part of the OPA’s Every Kilowatt Counts program, which includes online information about saving energy in the home, and rebate coupons on energy efficient products. For more information on the program, go to everykilowattcounts.ca.
There are lots of options for outdoor and indoor seasonal lighting décor in stories now. Philips’ new LED Lawn Stakes have weather-resistant lights attached to a plastic dark-brown branch form that can be shaped to create a naturalistic effect, which is very big in home décor right now.
The tiny lights, which come in green, red, blue and white, operate in regular or
flashing mode, and are supposed to last more 5,000 hours. These are great for a lawn display, to light a dim walkway and would add a welcome pop of colour and light to a decorative planter. They also look terrific placed in an opaque vase on a table in an entranceway or in a seasonal display on the side table in a dining room. Available at Home Depot, prices for these start at about $20.
Philips has also come out with LED coloured bulbs that fit any standard fixture size – perfect for adding a touch of colour to any room, or for spicing up the lighting for a special occasion. They come in blue, green, red, yellow, white and a colour-changing model. These bulbs, which provide an average of 50,000 hours of light, cost about $10, and are also available at Home Depot.
Canadian Tire is showing decorative LED “gift boxes” for outdoor decoration. These 16-and 18-inch clear boxes are filled with LED lights. They come in red, white or blue and are “wrapped” with a wide bow. Prices start at about $35.
Canadian Tire is also selling NOMA’s tubes of LED lighting for both interior and exterior use. Available in red, white, green and blue, they can be twisted into a wreath to add shimmer, or nestled among greenery banked along a mantelpiece. At about $10 for a nine-foot rope, these are an affordable way to add some seasonal fun to your décor.
If you’re in the market for a Christmas tree, Canadian Tire has a seven-foot tree pre-lit with warm LED lights for $249. If you need a reason to treat yourself, keep in mind that the retailer will donate $10 to local charity with every purchase of any artificial tree that measures 4.5 feet or higher.
OPA suggests consumers look for seasonal LEDs with the ENERGY STAR logo to ensure that they meet third-party energy efficiency, durability and safety criteria, and that outdoor lights have been given the appropriate weather-proof tests.
Bar Mitvah Disc Jockey…
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