A third of UK households will be putting up fewer or no Christmas lights this year to save on energy

One third of UK households won’t be decking the halls with as many fairy lights as usual this festive season, according to new research from Go.Compare energy. A survey by the price comparison website found that 32% of Brits will be putting up fewer Christmas lights - or none at all - this year to save on their energy bills*.

The study asked 2000 people about their Christmas light decorating plans this year and found that 14% are opting not to put up any lights at all this December to save on energy, while 19% are investing more money in sustainable lights and those with timers to help manage energy bills.

But it seems that age matters when it comes to lighting up this Christmas, as just over two in five (42%) of those aged 55 and over are putting up as many lights as they usually do, while 22% those aged between 18 and 24 said they would be putting fewer lights up to save money.

When it comes to the regions of the UK, those in the East of England are the keenest in the nation to save on bills by turning off the lights this Christmas, with 18% admitting that they won’t be putting any up. Meanwhile nearly a quarter (23%) of those living in Northern Ireland said they would be turning on fewer lights this year.  But the lights will be shining brightly in Scotland for Christmas and Hogmanay, as 43% of Scots surveyed said that they will be turning on the usual number of lights this December.

Gareth Kloet, spokesperson for Go.Compare Energy, said of the research: “We found out earlier this  month that the energy price cap will increase again on January 1st and even though that won’t affect the cost of energy bills this December, it will be on many householders’ minds as they come into the colder winter months of January and February.

“But let’s be honest, no one wants to dampen the Christmas spirit and, if like the Scots you don’t want to compromise on your Christmas light display this year, there are ways to do so without bumping up your energy bills too much.

“Investing in energy-saving options such as LED lights, lights with timers or plug socket timers, can be help you avoid wasting energy when you aren’t around to enjoy your lighting display. Although investing in these energy saving gadgets will cost initially, over the course of a few years they will more than pay for themselves in what you could save on energy costs, as well as the fact that they are better for the environment.”

Go.Compare has an energy calculator which can help you see how much energy the appliances in your home are costing you to run - including Christmas lights. It can be found here: https://www.gocompare.com/gas-and-electricity/guide/energy-calculator/.

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