Well, it seems festive lights and blow-up decorations are no longer limited to just the holiday season.
According to a recent survey from BC Hydro, more residents are putting up Halloween ‘mega displays.’
The survey finds almost a quarter of British Columbians now decorate about the same amount for both Halloween and Christmas.
About a quarter will be using electronic Halloween decorations this year, including outdoor lights (13 percent), electronic jack-o-lanterns (13 percent), and plug-in inflatables (five percent).
However, of those using electronic decorations, 20 percent will use multiple plug-ins, which could add to electricity costs.
“BC Hydro data shows holiday displays account for about three percent of the provincial electricity load during the holidays, and Halloween displays could eventually reach that level if the trend continues at its current pace,” said Susie Rieder, BC Hydro spokesperson.
The crown corporation states consumer spending on Halloween decorations is expected to reach an all-time high this year.
Residents can save money this Halloween by doing the following:
- Switching to LEDs: Decorative LED lights last ten times longer than incandescent lights and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours.
- Plugging into timers: Reduce electricity costs by only having lights and decorations on when needed.
- Using MyHydro: See how Halloween decorating impacts electricity use by using the electricity tracking tools available on MyHydro, which can be accessed from a mobile device or at bchydro.com.