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More British Columbians are going all out for Halloween.
BC Hydro says research backed up by power use statistics shows Halloween mega displays on the rise across the province.
Festive lights and blow-up decorations are no longer limited to just the Christmas season, the Crown utility says.
A survey found almost one-quarter of British Columbians now decorate about the same amount for both Halloween and Christmas – with almost 10 per cent decorating more for Halloween.
And those decorations are often electric, including outdoor lights (13 per cent), electronic jack-o-lanterns (13 per cent) and plug-in inflatables (five per cent).
“BC Hydro data shows holiday displays account for about three per cent of the provincial electricity load during the holidays, and Halloween displays could eventually reach that level if the trend continues at its current pace,” says BC Hydro spokesperson Susie Rieder.
Research indicates consumer spending on Halloween decorations is expected to reach an all-time high this year, as many feel they missed out on celebrations last year because of COVID-19. This could be why 15 per cent of British Columbians said they have noticed more Halloween mega displays in their neighbourhood since the start of the pandemic.
Hydro notes 22 per cent are still using a mix of older, inefficient incandescent lights with some LEDs, while about eight percent use all incandescent lights, increasing their energy costs and consumption.
Hydro suggests the following tips to save on your power bill:
- 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.
