Dominion Energy South Carolina Shares Five Tips for a Safe, Energy-Efficient Holiday Season

CAYCE, S.C. (Nov. 29, 2023) – With the holidays in full swing, Dominion Energy South Carolina is sharing tips for how to stay safe and save energy when decorating your home this season.

“You don’t have to sacrifice holiday cheer for energy efficiency as you decorate your home,” said Gerald Freeman, program manager, Dominion Energy South Carolina. “We recommend easy solutions to help people use less electricity. Simply being mindful of the time of day and how long you have lights turned on can make a difference.”

Dominion Energy South Carolina encourages customers to follow these top-five tips for holiday lighting safety and energy savings:

  1. Use LED lights. Energy Star-certified LED string lights use about 75% less energy than traditional bulbs and last about 10 times longer.
  2. Reduce usage. Set timers for lights to turn on and off automatically. Leaving holiday lights on during broad daylight increases your energy usage and reduces the life of the light bulbs in your decorations. Only turn on displays when it is dark or when passersby will most appreciate them.  
  3. Plan your layout. Arrange your decorations so that no outlet is overloaded, and no cords will be pinched by furniture or positioned under rugs. When appropriate, use advanced power strips (APS), which include built-in features that significantly reduce energy when not in use.
  4. Read labels. Check each product label or packaging to see if the lights are intended for indoor or outdoor. Ensure lights have a tag indicating a recognized testing laboratory has evaluated them.
  5. Get reflective. Shiny ornaments, tinsel and mirrors can multiply the lighting effects without using more energy.

For more energy-saving tips, visit DominionEnergy.com/SaveEnergySC. Additional safety tips can be found on the Electrical Safety Foundation International website, esfi.org.

About Dominion Energy
About 7 million customers in 15 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy every day and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.