How much will your Christmas lights cost you?
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One of the first actions is to put up festive lights outside of homes. As the lights go up, so do the electric bills.
"Every Christmas I am always looking to add to the Christmas light season," Florida resident Robert Cummins told WFTV. "We have a pretty big home, so it is a lot to cover. (When) you put up 5,000 lights it gets pretty expensive. I turn them on at night for 30 days, pretty much."
This year, Duke Energy is one utility company with an online tool for residents to calculate an estimate of what their light bill may be with an added lighting display.
The holiday lighting energy calculator can be found on its website.
Users can select the type of bulb they'll be using, how many strands they'll put up and how long the lights will be on.
The calculator will then generate an estimate of how much having those lights on will cost you.
"It automatically estimates the usage, as well as an estimated daily and monthly cost," said Peveeta Persaud, a communications consultant at Duke Energy.
While incandescent bulbs may be a little cheaper, they can cost more to use. Duke Energy urges its customers to use LED bulbs.
