Twinkling lights are one of the best parts of the holiday season. They’re also one of the easiest places to save energy without giving up any of the magic. With a few simple choices, you can keep your home just as festive while using less electricity and creating less waste.

Here are eight practical ways to make your holiday lighting greener this year.

1. Switch to LED lights

If you’re still using old incandescent mini lights, LEDs are the single biggest upgrade you can make. LED holiday lights use a fraction of the energy of incandescent strands and typically last many seasons longer.

They also run much cooler to the touch, which is a nice safety bonus on a dry tree or near curtains. You don’t have to replace everything at once. Swap out strands as the old ones burn out.

2. Put your lights on a timer

The easiest way to waste energy is leaving lights on all night or forgetting them while you’re away. A simple plug-in timer, or a smart plug you can schedule from your phone, solves that.

Set your lights to come on at dusk and turn off at bedtime. Five or six hours a night is plenty to enjoy them, and you’ll never come home to a display that ran all day.

3. Choose solar lights for outdoor spots

For garden beds, fences and pathways, solar-powered string lights can be a great fit. They charge during the day and glow at night with no outlet or extension cord needed.

Keep in mind that winter days are short and often cloudy, so solar lights work best in spots that get direct sun. They may be dimmer or run for fewer hours in December than in summer.

4. Decorate with intention, not volume

More lights don’t always mean more impact. A few well-placed strands framing a window, wrapped around a porch railing or highlighting a single tree can look more striking than a yard covered edge to edge.

Starting with a simple plan also helps you avoid buying more lights than you need.

5. Take care of the lights you have

The greenest lights are the ones you don’t have to replace. At the end of the season, wind strands loosely around a piece of cardboard or a hanger instead of stuffing them in a box. Store them somewhere dry, and label each bundle so you know where it goes next year.

Before hanging them, test each strand and replace any burned-out bulbs or blown fuses if your set allows it. Many strands come with spare bulbs and fuses tucked into the plug.

6. Recycle old strands the right way

Broken holiday lights shouldn’t go in your curbside recycling bin, because the wires can tangle sorting machines. But they do contain copper and other materials worth recovering.

Many hardware stores and local recycling centers collect old string lights during the holiday season. Check your city or county’s recycling website to find a drop-off spot near you.

7. Mix in non-electric decor

Not all holiday sparkle needs a plug. Pinecones, dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, evergreen branches and handmade paper decorations add warmth and texture without using any electricity. Reflective ornaments and mirrors can also make a small number of lights look brighter.

8. Unplug when you’re away

Heading out of town for the holidays? Unplug indoor and outdoor lights before you go, even if they’re on a timer. It saves energy and reduces fire risk while no one is home.

Why small changes add up

One family switching to LEDs and a timer won’t change the world. But holiday lighting is a seasonal habit repeated in millions of homes, and small changes across all of them can add up to a meaningful reduction in energy use.

The takeaway

You don’t have to choose between a festive home and a greener one. Switch to LEDs, use a timer, care for the lights you own and recycle old strands responsibly. Your holidays will still sparkle, and your electric bill and the planet will both feel a little lighter.

Image: Christmas Light Bokeh ? by J316 via Flickr, Public Domain Mark 1.0