Can Christmas lights really run up your energy bills?

December is well and truly here. For many Australians, that means it's time to dust off the decorations and untangle the Christmas lights - if they haven't done so already.

Whether they're wrapped around a Christmas tree or perched on the roof, one of the more festive parts of the holiday season is the twinkling light displays.

But they do come at a cost.

Fortunately, changes in technology mean that this cost isn't likely to be as dear as it was during festive seasons of yesteryear.

"Gone are the days of those energy-guzzling incandescent Christmas lights of the past, which used a whole lot more power than the LEDs and solar options available these days," says Meredith O'Brien, head of energy at Compare The Market.

A Compare The Market analysis estimates that running lights for four hours each night during December will cost households between $5 and $37, depending on the size of the display and where they live.

For instance, a string of 25 low voltage LED lights will cost roughly $5.52 to run for the entire month in Victoria, compared to $6.03 in Queensland, $6.36 in New South Wales and $7.44 in South Australia.

It's a similar story at the other end of the spectrum. A display with 700 LED fairy lights will cost $27.01 in Victoria, $29.46 in Queensland, $31.10 in New South Wales and $36.83 in South Australia.

Of course, that may be a small price to pay for the joy they bring.

But given that many households will also be running air conditioners and fans to cope with the heat and using the oven more to cook for additional guests, it's not a bad idea to think about ways to keep energy bills down over the summer period.

With that in mind, here are some tips to help reduce the cost of running your Christmas lights and dim the switch on your festive electricity spend.

Opt for energy-efficient lighting

Energy-efficient Christmas lights are not only better for the environment, they could be better for your bank balance too.

A 2022 analysis from iSelect found that a string of 200 incandescent light bulbs (80 watts) would cost roughly $4.70 to run over a 31-day period if they were in use for six hours each day.

However, 200 LED light bulbs (2.4 watts) would cost just 14 cents to run over the same period.

Not only do LED light bulbs consume far less energy than incandescent or halogen ones, they last up to 10 times longer and produce less heat than their incandescent counterparts.

Another cost-effective option for outdoor displays is solar lighting. Not only are they relatively quick and easy to set up, many don't require a timer because they have in-built sensors which switch on at night and switch off in the morning.

Make use of a timer

If you are using non-solar LED or incandescent lighting though, you may want to think about investing in a timer for your Christmas displays so that you're not running up a larger energy bill than you need to.

After all, you're not going to be able to appreciate your lights during every hour of the day, so it could be worth sticking to a set number of hours during the evening and either switching them off manually or using a timer to ensure that they're not running all night.

Choose battery-operated decorations

You don't have to ditch the decorations entirely to save on energy and stick to your Christmas budget. A simple option is to shop for lights that are battery-powered rather than electric.

Big-box stores like Big W, Bunnings, Kmart and Target all offer relatively inexpensive, battery-operated lighting that won't blow the budget. Best of all, with battery-operated systems you won't need to worry about need to access any hard-to-reach sockets.

It's worth noting that battery-powered lights can be purchased for both indoor and outdoor use, but make sure you that you check the packaging first, because not all indoor lights are safe to use outside.

Switch to a cheaper energy provider

Beyond becoming more efficient with your energy consumption, another option for those looking to avoid paying higher summer energy bills than they need to is to compare providers and plans in search of a better deal on their power bills.

For households in the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia or Tasmania, the government's free Energy Made Easy comparison tool has made the process of comparing electricity and gas offers relatively simple.

But whether it's through Energy Made Easy or a comparison website, households who are able snag a better value deal may want to contact their existing provider before making the move, just to see if they'll match or better the offer. If they don't, then it could be time switch.

The good news is that when moving to a new provider your connection won't be interrupted during the switching process, though it can take days or even weeks for the process to be finalised.

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