Christmas will be safer and more energy efficient than ever in the Netherlands. This is true at least for Christmas lights. According to installation umbrella organisation Techniek Nederland, consumers are increasingly replacing Christmas lights with incandescent bulbs with LED lights. LED lights do not heat up and therefore do not cause fire hazards in and around the Christmas tree. They are also much more energy efficient. An LED bulb uses only one-eighth of the electricity of an old-fashioned light bulb.
Christmas lights that still consist of incandescent bulbs pose several risks. In many cases, the bulbs can be replaced, and in doing so, the user may make contact with the wiring and receive an electrical shock. Damaged or worn wiring can cause short circuits or fires. Most modern Christmas lights have an adapter or transformer, which converts the mains voltage of 230 volts to a lower voltage. If it were up to electrical specialist John van Vugt of Techniek Nederland, all outdated Christmas lights would be replaced with LED lights. Van Vugt also believes that consumers should always connect Christmas lights to an electrical group with grounding and protected by an earth leakage switch. "And keep it simple and safe," he adds, "so don't go connecting extension cords or power strips."
Waterproof outdoor lighting
Lights for in the garden, on the outside wall or on the balcony must be resistant to water and moisture. The packaging of Christmas lights shows whether they are for indoor or outdoor use. Only Christmas lights with the code IP44 are suitable for outdoor use. If the IP20 code appears on the packaging, then these are indoor lights and not suitable for outdoor use.
Tips for a safe and energy-efficient Christmas
- Replace old bulbs with LED lights. These use eight times less electricity. In addition, LED lights do not get hot, so there is less of a fire hazard.
- Check that the wiring of the Christmas lights is not damaged. Damaged wiring can cause short circuits or electric shock.
- Divide the lighting among different electrical groups, and do not turn on all lights at the same time.
- Turn off the lights with a switch, so not by unplugging them.
- Connect the lights to a grounded electrical group protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter.
- Check what application lighting, sockets and extension cords are suitable for. Outdoor lighting must be rated IP44.
- Do not stuff the power strip with electrical appliances. This can cause a short circuit or fire hazard.
- Provide extra safety and install a smoke detector on every floor. Since July 1, 2022, this is required by law.
