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Tips to make your home feel festive without increasing your bills

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Christmas cheer is on the rise, but do our energy bills need to follow? Learn how you can lower the energy consumption in your home without sacrificing that festive feeling.

With the rise in energy costs, making your home feel festive on a budget is no mean feat. But don’t worry, a cost-effective Christmas is not out of reach. From choosing smart LED lighting to simply where you put up your tree, we come bearing tips, tricks and solutions to your festive energy woes.

So, what can you do if you’re worried about your energy consumption over Christmas?

Strings of white Christmas lights against a wall

Let there be (a little bit less) light!

We all love keeping our Christmas lights on as much as possible, but this will be reflected in your bills. Limiting how often your lights are on can save you money in the long run. If you’re using decorations that consume lots of energy, try to only turn them on for a few hours a day, and always remember to switch them off when you’re not home or about to go to bed.

If you hang Christmas lights outside your home, it’s worth thinking about investing in timers to ensure they go off at night. This goes for lights inside your home too. That way, if you do have a snooze in front of some festive telly, you can sleep soundly in the knowledge your lights are smart enough to turn off on their own!

Opting for longer lasting LED or low-energy lights is an easy win when it comes to saving on bills. But if you really want to see the benefits, consider switching to solar powered lights. Or go one better and swap electric lights for candles – these can bring a festive atmosphere without using any electricity whatsoever.

If you typically have a display window that uses lights, paper or sticker displays work just as well, plus you can make them at home yourself ­­­– a wonderful way to get the kids involved.

It's festive to be frugal

It’s useful to focus on decorations that don’t require electricity to run as there are lots of creative alternatives. With a little crafting, decorating your home for Christmas doesn't have to consume energy.  

Whether it’s making your own show-stopping wreath with foraged foliage, or simply sprucing up your home with festive accessories such as paper baubles, handmade ornaments and even edible treats, the thing to remember is whatever you decide to try your hand at, not everything needs electricity to look amazing.

Person making a Christmas wreath on a table
Person turning down thermostat

Take the heat off this Christmas

That warm and welcoming feeling is what Christmas is all about, but you can still achieve it without dialling up the thermostat. Lowering the temperature by a degree or two will help save on bills over the festive period. Plus, it gives you a great excuse to break out the Christmas knitwear!

If you’re the lucky person responsible for preparing a festive feast, remember to switch the heating off in the kitchen and use residual heat from the oven or hob to keep you nice and warm.

Being savvy about how you heat your home includes thinking about where you position the all-important tree. Try not to place it in front of a radiator, even if that’s where it looks best, as this will prevent your radiator from heating the room efficiently.

A lot of us are expecting to feel the pinch this festive season but thinking about how you can conserve energy will go a long way in reducing your bills. So, when the time comes, it’s worth taking a moment to think a little differently about how we deck the halls.

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