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Festive holiday display could fall victim to electric rates
SELINSGROVE, Dec 25, 2009 (The Daily Item - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
Larry Augustine typically begins putting up his holiday light display in September, but the specter of future Christmas electric bills has him worried.
Augustine, a Selinsgrove school board member, said it runs him about $200 extra to cover the cost of electricity consumed by the elaborate display surrounding his Monroe Township home.
Considering electric rates are expected to increase more than 30 percent after New Year's Day, the cost of powering the 200-plus pieces and "thousands" of lights could easily add $60 to his bill.
"This," he said this week, "could be the last year."
For more than a decade, Augustine has made assembling the holiday display a part of his autumn activities so sharing a bit of Christmas joy with neighbors and other community members can be part of his December.
The lights go up around Thanksgiving, connected to timers that illuminate the display from 5:30 p.m. to around 10 p.m.
The display has grown as manufacturers bring out new decorations and friends and neighbors chip in decorations they feel will fit right in.
Asked if he felt like the power company might be playing the role of the Grinch in stealing a bit of his Christmas fun, Augustine said: "That's exactly what it is. They don't care."
Whether the display returns for the post-electric-rate-cap holiday season, the lights are on this year, Augustine's effort to spread a little holiday joy.
While electric rates for ambitious holiday displays may be cause for concern, homeowners with modest displays using LED lights may have little reason to worry.
Ten strings of LED lights will only use one-tenth of a cent of electricity an hour, according to an online calculator created by Christmas Light Source.
Access the calculator at http://www.christmas-light-source.com/ and click on Christmas Lights Tools.
To see more of The Daily Item or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.dailyitem.com/. Copyright (c) 2009, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa.
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