Amid the energy and cost of living crisis, Christmas light switch-ons across the country are in jeopardy, but experts at an independent British retailer, The Christmas Workshop reveal that switching lights on in and outside your home could only set you back as little as one penny per week.
The family-owned, British company’s team of Christmas experts has analysed the wattage of its vast array of products against the new October energy price cap figures and uncovered that getting merry and bright this Christmas will not break the bank. With the most cost-effective lights only set you back as little as one penny per week and just £9.95 to buy.
“It’s been heartbreaking to read that across the country everything Christmas is being cancelled from ice rinks to Christmas light switch-ons and now even Bounty bars are being banned from joining in the festivities,” says Amit Juneja, managing director, of The Christmas Workshop.
“However, we very much understand the strain already being placed on family life with the ongoing cost of living and energy crisis.
That’s why our team of experts got to work analysing the running costs of our products, as we wanted to make sure that some of the traditions can continue irrespective and hopefully instil some much-needed festive cheer.
I think because big displays are being halted in certain regions, many homeowners will presume that their own lights will be costly to run, and due to them not being a necessity, will leave them in their box this year.
However, we very much hope that with our findings many homeowners will choose to light up their properties inside and out, and even contemplate investing in new energy-efficient decorations to bring festive spirit to light.”
AT A GLANCE:
- The expert team worked out its calculations based on the October energy cap p/kWh and ran a product for six hours per day.
- An average set of indoor Christmas tree lights is usually 200 lights, so the weekly running cost for 200 LED Chaser Lights is five pence per week.
- An average set of outdoor lights is usually 480, such as Icicle LED Outdoor Christmas Lights with a weekly running cost of nine pence per week.
- And festive figures such as this Light Up Reindeer will only set you back on average two pence per week.
- The team discovered the most expensive to run are non-LED lights, such as 200 Warm White Christmas Tree Lights, but these still only cost 69 pence per week.
As shops begin to stick up their decorations, advent calendars are being sold, and Christmas adverts begin to arrive on our screens, many will be deciding when their decorations will be displayed. But for those unsure about when the tree and the tinsel should be rescued from the loft, the Liverpool-based team shared their expert advice.
Amit continued: “There are many different opinions as to when the perfect time is to get festive, traditionally folk waited until Christmas eve, but in today’s society that seems long gone.
These days the dates can vary from family to family and whether you opt for a real or fake tree. However, we normally suggest the first or second week of December allowing those who opt for ‘au-natural’ the chance of their pine surviving beyond the 25th.
We do 100% stick to the traditional rule of all decorations being down by the 5th of January though, to steer away from any bad luck in the new year and we predict most homeowners will too this year with rising costs across family life.”
The Christmas Workshop, which is part of the Benross Marketing Group, hopes by sharing its research that many more homes across Britain choose to light up this Christmas.
Amit ended: “We really do hope we have given hope to those that live for all things festive – as it seems such a shame to not get into the full swing of Christmas in what seems another difficult year for most. At worst, if you chose our most energy-zapping product, and you switched your lights on in the first week of December it would only set you back £3.45 for the festive period.”
