Homeowners urged to switch before they switch on
More than half of UK homes will display outdoor decorations this Christmas, according to research from Gocompare.com. However, 85% of people admit, they have no idea how much fairy lights, inflatable Santas and flying reindeer will add to their Winter electricity bill.
The survey of 3,000 households revealed that nearly 13 million UK homes will be getting into the festive spirit by having external decorations this Christmas, spending on average £236 buying lights and festive ornaments. And, if you thought there were lots of twinkling terraces and bulbed-up bungalows last year, you could be in for an even brighter yuletide surprise this year as three million homes are set to put up outdoor Christmas decorations for the first time.
However, the majority of people have no clue how much fuelling their external decorations will add to their electricity bill. An outdoor display comprising 100 x 5 watt bulbs will consume 0.5 Kwh. If the display is switched on for six hours a day from the start of November to the first week of January it could consume an extra 207 Kwh of electricity. That's the equivalent of 22.8 days' average household electricity consumption.
Gocompare.com is urging homeowners to "switch before they switch on" this Christmas to help them manage energy bills over the most expensive quarter. The comparison site estimates that their customers save on average £442 by switching energy supplier. But, Gocompare.com's survey revealed that 80 per cent of consumers have not switched in the last 12 months and 22 per cent have never changed providers.
Covering your home with fairy lights and flashing, festive models has been a popular tradition in the United States for some time but has only recently caught on in the UK. The new trend has brought its fair share of problems with more than five per cent of homeowners having had an accident putting up their decorations and more than 1 in 10 having had decorations vandalised.
Phil Paterson-Fox, Head of Home Services at Gocompare.com, said: "This year, it looks like you could be in the minority if you aren't planning to bling-up your home for Christmas. However, regardless of whether you are going to adorn your home with external Christmas decorations or not, now's the ideal time to check that you've got the best energy deal. Winter usually produces the biggest energy bills so whilst it's great to get into the festive spirit, it's even better to do it knowing you're not paying any more than you have to. Significant savings can be made by changing your energy supplier - giving you extra money for festive treats."