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Create -an energy-efficient home for the holidays 'Tis the season to, be festive, and that usu- aIly means stringing up hundreds of twmnkling lights to create a welcoming glow on dark winter nights. Some people vew the holiday season as their chance to, go ail out with regard to decorating their homes with an abundance of lights, inflatable lawn ornaments and maybe even some mechanical figures. While these decorations certainly may be symbols of the season, it's easy to forget just how much energy and resources they con- sume. A typical strand of lights uses around 300 watts of electnicity Multiply those figures by the dozens of strings of lights people use and it's easy to, see how quickly energy usage can adduùp. In addition to lights, lit candies, animnated dolls, wreaths, trees, and scores of imported ornaments contribute to the energy consump- tion per household. Even so, environmentally consciouis idividuals need flot skip the holi- day décor and entertaining. Fortunately, there are vanious ways to be energy efficient with holiday décor this season. Switch to LED ights. LED lights consume a fraction of the ener- gy traditional incandescent bulbs do. While a standard string of 50 lights consumes 300 watts, LED sets only consume four watts. This flot only saves energy, but also considerable amounts of money over the course of the holiday season. use fdber-op& cdécorations. Fiber optic items are lit by one light. The illumination carnies through the fiber optic cables to the entire decoration. Use a powr strip and tbuer Plug decorations into a power stnip (be sure to fllow the recommended power load for safety) and hook everything up to a timer so lights are flot on when no one can see them. Chtechlight stra"d. Always inspect lights for frayed wires and any damage. Frayed lghts are less efficient and pose a considerable safety risk. Enhanoe decoratioas. Use mirrors and reflective omnaments to give the appearance of more lights without actually adding more. TÙMnioffaMubient ighting. Christmas tree lights or the lights framing' a picture window should be sufficient to light up a room. Keep lamps and overhead lighting off while the tree is lit to save money and energy LMwer the thermostat. When entertaining, tum the thermostat down a few degrees. Having extra people in your home will raise the temperature. Similarly, heat generated by the oven and other tooking appliances can warm up, a home. Don't waste energy by keeping the heat tumned on high. Invest in rechargeable batteres. According to, Energy Quest, 40 percent of ail batteries are purchased during the holiday season. To power those many gifts and devic- es, use rechargeable batteries which can be used again and again. Change your cooklng practces. Smaller appliances use less energy Put