Here is a greatinformative article I came across about Fiber Optic Lighting:

Efficient Holiday Lighting Options

November 20th, 2009

The Story: Consumers are starting to think about adorning their homes with sparkling strings of electric lights as the 2009 holiday season arrives. Many people merely accept the annual boost in their electric bill as a necessary cost.

The Hook: New LED (light-emitting diode) lights, however, can offer just as much twinkle and enjoyment at a fraction of the cost of older decorative lights. Donna Coffin, UMaine Cooperative Extension educator in the Piscataquis County office, says LED lights can reduce the cost of electricity for holiday decorations by as much as 98 percent.

Consider, she says, that the cost of using a 500-foot string of older C7-type holiday lights for six hours a day for 40 days (240 hours) is $134.  C7 lights are the old large light strings that get hot. People who have switched to mini-lights or twinkle lights, spend about $35 per season. Newer LED holiday lights, on the other hand, cost even less to run: less than $3 for the whole season — or 2 percent of the cost of the old C7 lights.

In addition, LED lights are virtually indestructible, last longer than standard holiday lights, reduce the risk of fire and stay lit if a single light goes out, Coffin says. With no filament or glass bulb in LED lights, they convert electricity directly to light without the heat.

Other cost-saving options for holiday lighting include fiber optic lighting, candelabra compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and “rope lights.”

Contact information: Coffin will be available Tuesday, Nov. 24 and can be reached at 207-564-3301 or by emailing dcoffin@extension.umaine.edu. For more ideas on home energy conservation, visit the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Energy Web site at http://www.umext.maine.edu/energy/default.htm.

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