How much does it cost to run Christmas lights at home?

Will lighting up Christmas cost more this year? (Picture: Getty Images)

Before you know it, it’ll be time to get the Christmas decorations out, untangle the fairy lights, and deck the halls.

But one thing that might not put you in the festive spirit is the rising cost of living and how this might affect your ho-ho-holidays.

With everything from the cost of energy bills to the average weekly shop rising, many Brits may be concerned about how Christmas will impact their spending.

There are many ways families can save money on their bills going into winter, but many may not have accounted for how Christmas decorations add up to other household appliances.

Here is how much it would cost to run Christmas lights at home.

How much electricity do Christmas lights use?

Various factors will affect the cost (Picture: Getty Images)

While you can get solar and battery-powered Christmas lights, many rely on being plugged into an electricity source to work, meaning they add to your bills.

How long you have your lights on and how many bulbs you have will affect the cost.

According to Ideal Home, the average family has their Christmas lights on for six hours per day.

On average a 100-count string of incandescent mini lights runs at 40 watts, and with most people using two strings, that adds up to 80 watts (W) or 0.08 kilowatts (kW).

If your lights were left on for six hours a day, with the electricity unit price now at 28p per kWh from October, that means the daily cost to run Christmas lights would be 14p per day.

The cost of Christmas lights may not break the bank (Picture: Getty Images)

This means that for a month, it would cost £4.01 to run Christmas lights for six hours per day.

This is based on the equation 0.48 (output over six hours per day) x 0.28 (cost) x 30 (days).

If you want to cut costs on your decorations, using LED lights or halogen bulbs could also cut your costs as they use around a quarter less electricity than incandescent bulbs, says Uswitch.

The government is also offering financial assistance to people who are struggling with their energy bills which will help put a dent in rising costs.

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