Holiday Energy-Saving Decorations and Safety Tips

Glendale Water & Power (GWP) is encouraging customers to follow simple holiday energy-saving and safety tips to ensure the community enjoys a safe and affordable holiday season.

Make this the year to replace older holiday lights with Energy Star® qualified LED light strands. LEDs consume less electricity and are eight times more efficient than incandescent lights. They are also cooler to touch, which decreases the risk of home fires. LEDs offer many other benefits:

Energy Efficiency: LEDs use up to 90% less electricity than conventional incandescent, painted or ceramic-coated bulbs.

Environmentally friendly: The lower electricity usage of LEDs means less carbon emissions.

Safety: LEDs generate much less heat when they operate so they are cool to the touch and are less likely to overload a circuit.

Longevity: LEDs can last up to 10 times longer than traditional incandescent strands and more strands can be connected together.

Holiday Safety Tips:

• Always turn off electrical decorations before leaving home or going to bed.

• Use an automatic timer to avoid accidentally leaving lights on overnight.

• Timers also help save energy.

•  Turn holiday indoor and outdoor lights on only when it is dark outside.

• Limit the time the lights are on to save energy and money, especially if for those who are still using traditional incandescent bulbs.

• Those who are going on vacation during the holidays should remember to unplug computers, printers, televisions and other appliances or electronics that have digital clocks. They still use energy when they are not in use.

• Use lights and extension cords designed for outdoor use if placing them outside.

• Check directions: Don’t overload electrical outlets or link more than three light strands at a time. If wires are warm to the touch, unplug them.

• Do not leave children or pets unattended around space heaters, holiday decorations, and candles.

• Get creative with holiday decorations that don’t need electricity. Residents are encouraged to bring holiday cheer to their home with other decorations such as reflective ornaments, bells, tinsels, ribbons, garland and much more.

• The refrigerator loses its cool every time the door opens. To save energy and cut down on trips back and forth, gather all holiday cooking ingredients in one trip, and make sure the door shuts securely when closed.