Colorful lights brighten up our cold winter nights. But we often encourage you to conserve energy and save money. So why did Captain Kilowatt string lights outside his house? With careful choices, you can enjoy a warm and cheerful house without contributing to climate pollution or breaking the bank.
Choose LED Lights
We’re in the midst of a lighting revolution. For decades, we relied on the incandescent bulb, first commercialized by Thomas Edison. This bulb slowly improved until about 10% of the energy turned into useful light, with 90% wasted as heat. It took about a century to arrive at today’s modern LED (light emitting diode) lights. LEDs use 80% less energy for the same light and last 25 times longer.
Now you can get LEDs for every light fixture in your home. They may cost slightly more, but the savings on power bills and the long lifespan mean that you quickly recoup this smart investment. Enter your zip code and find stores near you with discounted LED lights.
Captain Kilowatt bought a 75-foot string of colorful LEDs to brighten his neighborhood. Because these lights sip a tiny amount of power, I don’t feel like an energy hog. Choose your lights carefully as well, and let the cheerful colors brighten up the dark, cold winter evenings.
Invest in Community Solar
Holiday lights are a decoration, but not an investment. As Captain Kilowatt, I made a longer term investment in clean energy by subscribing to Idaho Power’s community solar project.
By supporting this Idaho-based clean energy project, I help put clean energy onto the grid. Mixing solar power into the grid during the day means that the electric company can save some river water to produce clean energy at night. Subscribe today!
Do you know the hot holiday gift this year? For some it might be toys like hatchimals-but Captain Kilowatt knows that the best gift is really investing clean energy. Besides subscribing to community yourself, you can give a community solar subscription to someone you love, someone who is an Idaho Power customer.
It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving-25 years of local, clean energy and credits on their power bills. Whether you live in the Idaho Power service territory or know someone who does, show your support for clean energy this year and rest easy as you enjoy the twinkling lights during the holiday season.