Now that December has arrived, many are turning their thoughts to the holiday season ahead.  If you plan on using lights to decorate switch to LED (light emitting diode) holiday lights!  Here are 5 good reasons to get rid of your old incandescent bulbs:

• Use up to 95% less energy than conventional incandescent light strings
• LED lights last at least 10 times longer than conventional bulbs (30,000 to 50,000 hours)
• LED holiday lights are competitively priced with conventional light strings
• More durable than conventional lights; no filaments or glass bulbs to break
• Do not give off heat, reducing the risk of fire

A typical 50-bulb incandescent strand of lights uses 250 watts and an equivalent 70-bulb LED strand uses only three watts. For a house that operates holiday lights for six hours a day through the month of December, with an energy price of 10 cents per kilowatt hour, six strands of incandescent holiday lights would cost nearly $28 to power versus a mere 34 cents for LEDs. By replacing the incandescent strands with LEDs, it would save you over $27 in energy costs for the month.

Make sure never to connect LED strings to conventional incandescent holiday lights – this will reduce the lifespan of your LED lights and pose a potential fire or electrical hazard.  Also, some LED holiday lights are rated only for indoor use, so make sure to check the packaging if using lights outdoor.