Should Christmas tree lights be left on all night?

Should you leave your Christmas tree lights on all night or turn them off every evening? This is a question many homeowners ask themselves at Christmas time, as it can be difficult to determine what is best.

 

Whether you want to leave your Christmas tree lights on all night to maximize the appeal of your home or business during Christmas or you are wondering how much money you can save by turning off your string lights every night, this article will give you specific answers.

Can Christmas tree lights be left on all night?

While you can leave your Christmas tree lights on all night, it's not the safest option, and turning them off can save energy, as well as reduce your electric bill.

Leaving Christmas lights on for long periods of time can pose unnecessary electrical and fire risks, says Dr. Naeem Turner-Bandele, an energy systems engineer, researcher and CEO of Latimer Enterprises.

' If you use LEDs, they are safer than incandescents ,' he says. ' However, although LEDs consume less power and are generally cooler than incandescents, they can overheat or be damaged by faulty wiring or external damage from indoor or outdoor use. '

 

" In the worst case, you can damage the lights if you leave them on for too long, and in the worst case, they can pose a fire hazard. "

Save energy by turning off Christmas tree lights at night

While your electricity bill won't be significantly reduced by turning off your Christmas tree lights at night, the potential savings can add up depending on the type of bulbs you use, the electricity rates in your area, and how long you keep your tree decorated.

' I analyzed the electricity costs of leaving the Christmas tree lights on all night (from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.) versus turning them off at night every day in November and December ,' Turner-Bandele said. ' I assumed the Christmas tree was 7 feet tall (about 2.1 meters) and would require about 700 bulbs to achieve the desired brightness. '

Using average US electricity prices for November and December 2024, here are the savings he calculated for various popular Christmas tree lighting options:

1. Mini Incandescent Lamp: $29.36 for two months.
2. T5 LED: $3.45 for two months.
3. M5 LED: $4.93 for two months.

As you can see, the potential energy savings from turning off LED lights every night is very small, while turning off incandescent lights on your Christmas tree every night can save a significant amount of money.

 

Potential risks of leaving Christmas tree lights on all night

While you may not be concerned about saving energy or reducing your electric bill, you should consider the potential risks associated with leaving your Christmas tree lights on overnight.

In terms of electrical safety, it's still best to turn off lights when you're sleeping or not home. While the risk is very low with new lights, you should still be careful with anything that involves heat and electricity, especially if the lights are old, in contact with dry branches, or plugged into a potentially overloaded outlet.

The risk is further increased by the fact that if homeowners leave their Christmas tree lights on overnight, they are likely to leave them on every night.

So the risks of leaving lights on overnight may be negligible, but leaving Christmas tree lights on 24/7 throughout the holiday season can significantly increase the risk of overheating, damage, and other problems.