Once Thanksgiving is done, many of us are in the mood to hang holiday lights to decorate our homes. Whether you’re seeking to have the best display ever – “Christmas Vacation” style or just want to tastefully highlight a few features, we have tips for hanging lights safely and saving money on electricity:
- Keep away from overhead power lines when hanging lights from a ladder or moving a ladder around.
- Don’t stand too high on your ladder or extend it too far. (Getting injured in a fall can ruin your holiday spirit!)
- Use extension cords rated for outdoor use and don’t overload outlets.
- Use clips designed for holding wire instead of nails to avoid damaging your siding and cords.
- Put cords under mulch to hide them from site and prevent a tripping hazard.
- Use LED lights to reduce the amount of power your display consumes by up to 80% over incandescent lights.
- Solar holiday lights don’t need to be plugged in and come in unique shapes and sizes.
- Use a timer to control when your light display turns on and off and always come home to a nice light show.