We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues when trying to view threads. Our tech team is working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
Christmas lights (LED) and energy costs - could be better, could be worse .........
Blackpool illuminations have been switching over to LED bulbs, which they reckon has saved them 75% on their energy bills. Now media reports suggest it only costs £50,000 per month for the million-or-so bulbs used there at 2022 rates.
Very interesting, this does though beg the question - how many councils who have said they'll not be using Christmas lights this year are still on the old energy hungry incandescent bulbs ..........
Councils, quite rightly, have to balance the labour cost of replacing a perfectly functional bulb versus the cost-saving of the new one. In most cases, it will be cheaper to wait until the bulb needs to be replaced or, more likely, when newer, lighting units are being fitted. I would imagine most householders will have taken the same approach.
The same applies to Christmas lighting displays. Street-scale displays are actually very expensive, so it is not uncommon for older units to still be in use, the cost of replacement being equivalent to several years of the added cost of older bulbs/fittings.
