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LREC promotes energy savings
Published 8:20am Tuesday, December 22, 2009Old fashioned holiday lights use a lot of energy. Christmas trees in the lobby at Lake Region Electric Cooperative (LREC), Pelican Rapids, illustrate the point.
With the meter attached to the tree adorned with old fashioned C7 lights spinning like a top, the cost for 30 days is $34.50. LED C7 lights on another tree barely move the meter. The cost for 30 days is only 60 cents.
“With Energy Star LED C7 Christmas lights, they take only 1.6 watts for each string of 36 lights,” said Cashier/Customer Service specialist Cheryl Kvidt. “This tree will take 192 watts to twinkle for 24 hours.”
The tree with energy efficiency has five strings of 36 lights. Based on 192 watts per 1,000 kilowatt-hours, the cost is only two cents per day. Thus twinkling lights for 30 days is only 60 cents.
It’s far different with the other tree that’s adorned with old-fashioned C7 regular Christmas lights. Each strand of 25 lights uses 125 watts.
“This tree has four strands of lights,” said Kvidt, “and the tree will use 500 watts per hour.”
Based on 500 watts per 1000 kwh times 24 hours, that comes to $1.15 per day. The cost of twinkling lights for 30 days would be $34.50.
Those are stunning comparisons for people who check out each tree in the front lobby at Lake Region Electric, just south of Pelican Rapids along Highway 59. Most get the point loud and clear about energy efficiency.
