last updated 22rd December 05
by 4ecotips.com

Festive season energy consumption could go into overdrive

With energy use set to go into overdrive over the festive season, the Energy Saving Trust is encouraging householders to think a little greener this Christmas.

New research shows that over the twelve days of Christmas, the running of our decorative tree lights could cost the UK up to a staggering £14 million*, using enough energy to power 5,500 FA Cup finals and enough carbon dioxide (CO2) to fill over 15,500 hot air balloons*.

Meanwhile, households that really go to town with extravagant outdoor Christmas displays are adding an extra £75 to the cost of their Christmas festivities, enough to heat and power an average home for six weeks and producing CO2 emissions equivalent to a 2000-km car journey which is over 1.5 times the distance from Lands End to John O'Groats.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust says: "People often don't realise how much energy a simple set of Christmas lights uses, especially when they are left on overnight. Simple measures like making sure you turn off the fairy lights before bed cannot only help you do your bit for the environment, but also reduce some of the bills racked up over the festive season."

Here are just some of the Energy Saving Trust's top tips to a greener Christmas:

• Install just one energy saving lightbulb and over the 12 days of Christmas, help save the UK £2.2 million and 16,438 tonnes of CO2 - enough to fill 17 party balloons per household.
• Remember to turn fairy lights off before you go to bed. If we all left our tree lights on for just 8 hours a night we would waste over £4.5 million.
• This year_s most sought after gifts could be costing more than you think if they are left charging or on standby unnecessarily. Computer games consoles waste £70m worth of energy per year so make sure you turn appliances off at the mains when not in use.
• Make sure you turn the TV off properly rather than leaving it on standby when gathering around the table for Christmas lunch. TVs on standby in the UK waste £88 million every year.
• Christmas produces a mountain of waste so make sure you recycle everything you can, from wrapping paper to tin cans - every bit helps

*£14 million figure based on the 90% of households that have a Christmas tree leaving their decorative lights on for 24 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas.