Whether you’ve already had yours up for a while, or your still waiting to put your Christmas decorations up, there’s no doubt that these festive additions can elevate our homes. But could they be elevating your energy bills too?
With temperatures dropping and days getting shorter, households use more energy at this time of year to keep their homes warm and well-lit, which means higher bills during an already expensive season.
1. Blocking radiators with decorations
Whether it’s your Christmas tree, or furniture you’ve moved to make space for it, blocking your radiators can have a significant impact on your energy bills.
‘When a radiator is obstructed, the heat gets trapped rather than circulating around the room, which means your boiler needs to work harder and longer to reach the set temperature,’ explains Katie Lillywhite AO’s appliance expert. ‘That means your boiler has to work harder and longer to reach the temperature you’ve set, which results in higher energy use and higher bills.’
Instead, you should keep decorations and furniture as far away from radiators as your layout will allow. ‘Even pulling furniture and decorations just a few inches forward helps warm air circulate much more freely,’ adds Katie.
Minimise the need to block your radiators by opting for one of these space saving Christmas trees.
Alupssuc 2ft Pre-Lit Artificial Mini Christmas Tree
This small tree comes pre-lit, and with a few of your favourite baubles added, will look just as festive, without taking up too much valuable space.
Dibor Nordic Forest Christmas Tree Ladder
Keep your furniture where it is by popping a Christmas tree on the wall instead. This Scandi-inspired design is also the ideal option for those who prefer a more minimalist decorating scheme.
Habitat 6ft Half Christmas Tree
Another brilliant space saving option is a half tree that can sit right up against the wall. If you already have an artificial tree where you slot the branches on, you can achieve this look by just using half, and making sure the ones you use are all fluffed out.
2. The mode you have your Christmas lights on
While many people will have already upgraded old incandescent Christmas lights with energy-efficient LED alternatives, the mode you choose while they are on can also impact your energy bills.
‘LED Christmas lights are relatively low-cost to run, but that doesn’t mean they should be left on constantly,’ says George Penny, Energy Expert at The Solar Co. ‘Using them for eight hours a day is reasonable, but extending that to 12 or more hours, especially when nobody is around to enjoy them, can quickly eat into your energy budget.’ If you need to upgrade, these multi-coloured LED lights from Habitat (£12) have a great price point.
‘The type of lights and the mode they’re set to also matters. For example, flashing or twinkling modes tend to use far less energy than having lights on continuously, offering energy savings of up to 64% for some products. If you’re running multiple indoor and outdoor displays, switching to more efficient settings can make a noticeable difference.’
If you want to upgrade your lights, I love these options below:
Jsdoin Battery-operated Fairy Lights
Avoid using electricity altogether with these battery-powered fairy lights. These are also a really great option to free up your decorating choices as you aren’t limited by being near a plug socket.
3. Not using a timer for your lights
Another error people make when it comes to their festive decs is that they don’t use a timer. That means lights can be left on for longer than necessary, sometimes even when no-one is home. In the case of any outdoor lights, if you forget to turn them off, they can be on all night, using energy when no-one is awake to enjoy them.
‘The easiest way to keep costs down is to use a smart plug so your lights only come on when you want them to,’ advises Katie. ‘If you have a smart speaker, you can also ask Alexa to turn your lights on for you.’
Tapo
Tapo P100 (4-Pack) Smart Plug
Control your Christmas lights from your phone (wherever you are) with this pack of four smart plugs. If you have a smart assistant, you can also control them with a voice command.
4. Putting decorations too close to your thermostat
Similar to how putting decorations too close to your radiators can unnecessarily increase your energy bills, so too can putting decorations over your thermostat.
‘This can trick them into reading the room temperature incorrectly, says Nicholas Auckland, heating, cooling and energy expert and Managing Director of Trade Radiators. ‘If a thermostat thinks the room is warmer than it actually is, then the heating could shut off too early. Similarly, if it thinks the room is colder than it really is, then the boiler will fire for longer than needed which will increase energy costs.’
5. Hanging large, bulky decorations in windows
Putting beautiful decorations in your windows is hugely popular, especially if you want to give your home festive kerb appeal without going to the full extent of external decorations. But it turns out this could be negatively impacting your energy bills.
‘Try not to put bulky decorations or heavy displays in front of windows as this can obstruct natural sunlight,’ explains Stuart Middleton, Consumer Energy Expert at So Energy. ‘During winter, every bit of daylight contributes to warming your home for free, so leaving windows free from decorations can help maximise heat even on the shorter winter days.’
If you do want to put decorations in your windows, keep them small and delicate so it minimises how much daylight they block.
34cm Gold Osby Star Window Light
For a festive window display that will still let daylight in, this delicate star light is ideal. It’s battery powered too.
To further reduce your home’s energy usage over the festive period, you could also try Martin Lewis’ tactical 4pm rule, or some more simple home upgrades to make your home feel warmer.
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