Tips to ensure Christmas lights don't give you massive electricity bills

An Irish owned company Solas that has been established for over eighty years and now supports 63 jobs in Ireland has given advice on how to save electricity on your Christmas lights. * Use LED Christmas Lights: These consume 90% less electricity compared to old Christmas lights and incandescent bulbs.

* Don’t turn on the Christmas lights during the day, it is a waste of energy and electricity and no one can really enjoy looking at the lights during the day. Use timers to automatically switch the lights on and off.

* Tree lights on - room lights off: When the tree is lit, there is no need to have other lights on. Save energy and enhance the festive atmosphere.

* Unpack carefully. Lights break and glass cut so unpack your lights gingerly, looking for and replacing broken bulbs along the way.

* Never overload an extension lead by plugging in appliances that together will exceed the maximum current rating stated for the extension lead. This could cause the plug in the wall socket to overheat and possibly cause a fire.

* Instead of wrapping the lights around the tree, it is better to divide the tree into three triangular sections from top to bottom, and to hang the lights one section at a time.

* Never leave lights turned on while unattended. Always turn off the lights before you leave the house and when going to bed.

* Store Christmas lights in a ball. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the best way to store lights is to ball them up. Wrap five times in one direction, then turn the ball 90 degrees and repeat. Store your light balls in cardboard boxes, rather than in plastic bags: Cardboard absorbs residual moisture and extends the life of your lights.