Christmas lights. Am I being a Scrooge?

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It's possible that I am. I'm in a panic about money at the moment, made all the worse because I'm on annual leave so I've got time to shit myself and hyperventilate worry about it.

I love Christmas and I love Christmas lights.

But this post in the Argus seems a bit off, given that we have real issues with energy at the moment?
I think I read that it's for charity but I'm not sure that's the best excuse way to be making money for charity at the moment.

Aibu?

Then should we ban mid-match cups of tea because those surges do actually make a difference to the grid?
Ban roasting turkeys because of needing ovens (high energy) on at the same time on Christmas Day?

They are literally talking about people not using items during surges.

So yes, that's exactly what is on the news.

My house will be one of those fully lit up "tacky" ones! 😂 I enjoy it, it brings me happiness.

If there are power outages, of course they won't be on. But when every shop, office and building is staying fully lit throughout closed night time hours - I'll be putting my fairy lights and decorations on a couple of hours a day. If it's so bad we need to turn Christmas decorations off, I'd expect that to be an option communicated after they've got huge business to turn off their well lit showrooms and buildings overnight.

Call me crazy but I'd rather have energy available and a liveable planet than your hideous light up penguins and illuminated wonky snowmen.

YANBU, but I do wonder who the hell Eddie Mitchell is and why he seems to get a credit on any photograph accompanying a news article relating to Sussex.

Op if the point you're making is environmental why use the word Scrooge in your title?
If people want to spread a little joy why not? Life is pretty bleak for some at the moment.

What do you think Scrooge means? Yes it has financial connotations, but Scrooge hated christmas for many reasons.

There are lots of places to save energy. Lots and lot of people are 'wasteful' in what they choose to spend energy on. To take aim at Christmas LEDs seems like it comes from an unhappy place.

LED lighting is lower energy than old incandescent lighting by about a factor of 10.

That said, if you use 10x as many lights as a normal person you're back to square one.

If you have enough of them, the cost of LED lights is not negligible.

I like a few subtle lights- they brighten up a dull winter, but over the top stuff is, well, over the top.

Very possibly. For the reasons stated in my OP!

Colossal waste and ostentatious display is not "fun" unless you lack imagination.

Or perhaps people have different priorities. But no, they're just unhappy.🙄 Alternatively people sticking up lots of lights are overcompensating for some lack in their lives. Who's to say?

2 identical houses . One uses a tumble dryer which the public don't see but decides not to put up Christmas lights.
2nd house decides not to use tumble dryer but chooses to have mass Christmas lights.

You're making judgements without knowing all the facts. House 1 maybe virtue signally by not having lights up whilst using more electricity overall. Who knows?

It might be something they do yearly. We have one near us that does it, and have done for ages. Started a decade ago and have raised £125,000 so far for the local children's hospice
I can't find any way to be offended by that. Everyone looks forward to it and it raises much needed money

There are lots of places to save energy. Lots and lot of people are 'wasteful' in what they choose to spend energy on. To take aim at Christmas LEDs seems like it comes from an unhappy place.

^This. When you consider the amount of electricity we all need to use all the time for so many things in our homes, not to mention the amount used every day in schools, hospitals, shops, offices etc, I imagine that LED Christmas lights barely make any difference in the grand scheme of things.

Judging someone's energy based on one thing you happen to be able to see, which they are using very briefly, when you have no idea of their energy use the rest of the time is just a daft, knee-jerk reaction tbh. It reminds me a bit of the curtain-twitchers during the lockdowns, checking on whether their neighbours were clapping for the NHS!

The piles of inflatable tat are probably worse for the environment than the electricity used.

Maybe they don't have bunch of kids so can enjoy the same amount of leccy use like someone with 3 or 4 and use it this way instead of daily tumble drier....

For me it depends how you do it. We have some beautifully lit up houses here: not too many lights with well thought out displays and co ordinating colours. I love looking at them.

There are also some tacky monstrosities.

Most lights are led and cost nothing.

I'm confused. Why are you talking about cost?

You started thread talking about money.
Your OP sounds like it's the money what made the lights issue for you....

Because cost directly correlates with the amount of energy they use. LEDs use very little energy so cost very little to run.

I like Christmas lights. People still need stuff to make them happy, even in (especially in?!) a cost of living / energy crisis.

I'm personally cutting down on heating massively this winter. But I'm still gonna have a few fairy lights on for the festive period. It'll give me something to smile about when I'm sitting under my blanket.

Theres a street near us that does this sort of thing for charity which I think it’s nice. It’s a sort of local event.

However I do agree that it’s irresponsible for companies to advertise to people in this way - making them think it’s necessary to decorate to that extent.

People can do as they like but I think companies should take some responsibility for advertising

when every shop, office and building is staying fully lit throughout closed night time hours

totally agree.
making commercial properties switch of lights and signs would save tons of electricity on a daily basis. And reduce light pollution.

add in those hideous tv style billboards that can literally be seen for miles and that’s even better.

would be quick and easy to introduce (last one out switches off the lights) with zero negative effect on the general population.