Light Up Your Holidays with Less Environmental Impact

One of my favorite things this time of year is to watch the houses in the neighborhoods light up. The first ones usually hit around Thanksgiving, with more joining in the fun as the holidays get closer. There's something heartwarming about seeing the outlines of rooftops, windows and doorways sparkling with light against the snow. You'd have to be a real Scrooge to deny it. 

When I'm out looking at lights, I want to think warm holiday thoughts—holly and bows and sugarplums, snuggling up with a hot chocolate, my dad's famous Christmas doughnuts—not energy waste and our incessant battering of the environment. How's that for Scrooge, huh?

The great news here is we can have our lights and enjoy them too. And not by blindly ignoring the environmental impact until we take the energy-suckers down at New Year's, but by replacing the energy-suckers with eco heroes: LED holiday lights.

Going green is easy when it comes to holiday lighting, whether your preference is clear, multi-colored, icicles, rope, hanging snowflakes or even a glowing Merry Christmas sign. All of the above and more can be found at , which offers a range of LED products by Philips and some of its own brand as well. Pick your favorite style of holiday glow; chances are there's an LED version ready and waiting.

LED lights are generally a bit more expensive than standard lights, but only in terms of upfront cost. When you consider the fact that LED outdoor holiday lights can last for 20 to 30 years, that might mean I won't buy another set of lights to string up until I'm in my mid-50s. For the possibility of waiting until 2040 to buy new Christmas lights, I'm willing to spend a couple more dollars this season. Just be sure to buy ones you like, as you may have to live with your selection for decades.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends checking for the Energy Star label, stating that Energy Star qualified LED decorative light strings use 75% less electricity on average as compared to conventional light strings. Other decorative LED lights use up to 90% less energy than incandescent bulbs for the same amount of light. 

Of course, all this energy saving also adds up to savings on your electric bill, erasing or reversing the price gap between LED and incandescent lights over time.

There are even—get this—solar powered LED outdoor holiday lights. They soak up energy during the day and turn on automatically at dusk, no outlets, extension cords or eco-guilt required. Not only is this a big win in terms of the environment, but it prevents you from Clark Griswold-like embarrassment from blowing a fuse or accidentally hanging the string with burnt out bulbs. 

As a bonus, LED lights run cooler than incandescent bulbs, reducing fire risk. 

So go to it, eco-friends. Light up these chilly winter nights with equal parts holiday cheer and environmental responsibility.