If Busch Gardens Christmas Town was a house — a very large house with 8 million lights — one would imagine their Christmas power bill could be pretty expensive.
As high as $1 million for 30 days, according to online power usage calculators, a number which doesn’t include any power used by the rest of the park.
Greater Williamsburg residents probably aren’t decking their halls with 8 million lights, but many have some holiday decorations — even if it’s just one or two strings of lights on a Fraser Fir Christmas tree.
What drives up the cost?
For those wondering how their holiday décor will affect their wallets, there are several online calculators available, including one by Dominion Energy.
The largest variable is the number and type of light bulbs.
Assuming a family is diligent about turning off their lights after 6 hours of illumination each day, here are some calculations from Dominion Energy:
If a medium-sized family home uses three 100-bulb string of mini lights on the tree, another two around the house, and eight more on the porches and columns, the home would spend an additional $12.78 per month on their electric bill.
Add more holiday cheer with 10 strings of 5-watt large colored bulbs on the front bushes and snowmen lit up by eight 150-watt spotlights: $61.18 per month.
For full-blown Christmas spirit, add ten additional strings of big colored bulbs to the rest of the house for a total cost of $86.14 a month.
Switch out standard mini-lights for LED’s and the cost drops to $74.57.
Calculate your holiday electric bill
Any homeowner can calculate their own estimated expense at any of the following sites:
