Holiday Lights

Stay safe while enjoying your holiday lights. Outdoor lighting is so common we expect the neighbors to hang holiday lights each year. To enjoy a safe holiday, make sure all holiday lights are UL approved. When using old lights from the year before, be sure to check for frayed cords and broken bulbs. Toss it out if you see anything suspicious, such as a visible wire. Never use electrical lights on metallic trees and turn off all holiday lights when you are not home. Plugging your outdoor holiday lights into a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protected receptacle is also necessary for safety.

There are many types of holiday lights available today. Strings of rope lights will give the illusion of lights moving. Rope lights are easy to mount and can have the speed of the light movement controlled. You can also easily join different colors of rope lights together. Christmas lights found on a string are the all time favorite. Easy to use and quick to replace, these lights are also found to be inexpensive. Make sure to check the box for length of the string. then purchase enough boxes to light up your house or tree.

Fiber optic lighting gives off a festive glow. This type of lighting can be used indoors or out. If you have no outlets in the area you'd like to decorate, try battery operated holiday lights. These lights can come in handy when decorating tops of trees or rooftops, but can be quite expensive. Expect to pay close to $60 for a string. Look for these battery operated lights when they are on sale, during off seasons for the best deal.

Today with modern technology, some holiday lights are controlled through the use of computers. Most people think that holiday lights cause electric bills to rise significantly. But studies show that electric bills only rise an average of $3 due to holiday lights. The higher cost in electric bills during the winter months is most likely due to weather conditions and visiting guests during the holiday season. So enjoy your holiday lights and remember to think of safety first.