Christmas lights safety tips
Get essential Christmas safety tips to help you inspect, install and use festive lights safely, avoid electrical hazards, and keep your home and family protected throughout the holiday season.
Before you dust off the lights
Many families brighten their home with lights and decorations at Christmas. But before you dust off the decorations consider our safety tips to help you and your family celebrate safely this festive season.
When unpacking your lights make sure you inspect them before they’re switched on. You need to look closely for things like frayed cords and broken bulbs and always turn the power off before replacing any bulbs.
It’s important for your own safety not to run Christmas lights on or near the service line that connects your home to the electricity network.
Dos and don'ts of safe outdoor light displays
Do:
- Plan your display, take note of overhead powerlines including the service line that connects your home to the electricity network and stay well away.
- Only use lights specifically designed for outdoor use. Read manufacturers' installation instructions and follow them closely.
- Inspect cords, bulbs and plugs for signs of wear or damage.
- Fully unroll extension cords to keep them from overheating.
- Attach lights to your home using tape, cable ties or clamps. Never use nails.
- Switch off and unplug your Christmas lights when it rains, before leaving home or going to bed.
Don't:
- Use cords, bulbs and plugs if they show signs of wear and damage.
- Run Christmas lights on or near the service line, over swimming pools or ponds.
- Expose joins in extension cords to the weather or join more than one extension cord together.
- Use lights intended for indoor use in your outdoor display.
- Overcrowd powerpoints or use multiple double adaptors.
- Run your extension cords across driveways or paths.
Decorating the tree
- Put your lights on the tree first followed by other decorations, making sure they aren’t touching each other.
- Keep tinsel and other decorations away from lights, power boards and sockets.
- Position your tree away from curtains and other soft furnishings that may be flammable.
- Turn your Christmas lights off before leaving home or going to bed.
- Don’t move or adjust lights while they’re switched on.
How to sparkle and still save
Lighting up for the festive season shouldn’t cost a fortune. LED lights can be a good investment as they should keep working for many years and use less than half the energy of standard fairy lights.
The list below shows just how cost-effective LED lights can be. The amounts show how much it costs for an entire month if the lights are switched on for 10 hours a night.
- 32 indoor star lights - 12 cents a month
- 20-star garden lights - 20 cents a month
- 100 fairy lights - 50 cents a month
- 250 icicle lights - 60 cents a month
Solar-powered fairy lights are also a great option and won’t add a cent to your electricity bill.