Thanksgiving signals the official start of the holiday season no matter what retailers try to tell us. There's the food, family and friends and opportunity to eat too much, spend too much and do foolish things.

So we thought we'd get some tips for having a safer season for consumers and maybe even saving energy. That's why we called Hawaiian Electric and the Honolulu Fire Department to help us out this year. (We're just not going to worry about the eating thing today.)

Let's start by putting up lights while saving energy. Hawaiian Electric Co. spokesman Darren Pai tells us that those newish LED (light emitting diode) lights can save a lot by running on about one-eighth the electricity it takes to power traditional lights.

Sure, the initial purchase of new lights is an investment but one that can pay off, he said.

"They use considerably less energy," Pai said, and that adds up because "when you're talking about holiday lights you're talking about hundreds or thousands of bulbs."

How different are LED lights? Pai said the typical 100-bulb strand of lights runs on about 4.3 watts per light strand, while conventional mini-bulbs use 33 or 34 watts for a 100-bulb strand. The bigger bulbs use even more: 512 watts for 100-bulb strands of those teardrop-shaped C7 bulbs; other bulbs can use more than 1,000 watts.

"Basically, you can use a single strand of LED lights, leave them on 10 hours a day for 30 days and it's going to cost you less than a dollar," Pai said.

Capt. Terry Seelig of the Honolulu Fire Department agrees with Pai on some other safety tips. Both want everyone to check the lights we buy for safety labels, then inspect them and be careful where to hang them.

Seelig wants us to look for fraying cords, bare spots, broken sockets and other trouble spots.

"You shouldn't buy something that doesn't have a lab testing approval label," Seelig said. That means they bear the certification mark of a standards laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratory (UL), Factory Mutual (FM), Electronic Testing Lab (ETL), or Canadian Standards Association (CSA).

Don't overload an outlet, extension cord or circuit by plugging in too many things.

And avoid other common mistakes such as hanging ornaments or other decorations on the cords of lights.

Seelig also offers some caution on buying a tree. Look for green needles that are hard to pull off the branches, a sticky trunk, and shake the tree to see if needles come off easily. Once you get it home, keep refilling the water to keep it from drying out and becoming more of a fire hazard.

Pai reminds us that the warnings are designed to help everyone during a busy time. Conserving energy can help reduce the cost that comes with having more guests and gatherings.

"We want everyone to enjoy the holiday season," Pai said.



Are You Buying This? is a weekly consumer column. Curious about consumer issues or have a tip to share? Reach Robbie Dingeman at 535-2429 or rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.