New Holiday Light Options Can Cut Electric Bills

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The holiday season is here and many homeowners and renters celebrate the spirit of the season with indoor and outdoor holiday lights. Elaborate lighting displays, however, can result in elevated electric bills.

Donna Coffin, UMaine Cooperative Extension educator in the Piscataquis County office, advises that holiday celebrants now have an opportunity to reduce their electric bills and still show their holiday spirit — with the new light-emitting diode (LED) lights.

LED holiday lights are very energy-efficient and will save money during the holiday season, making them ideal decorations, Coffin says. 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. With no filament or glass bulb in LED lights, they convert electricity directly to light without the heat.
The average cost of using a 500-foot string of the old C7 type holiday lights for six hours a day for 40 days (240 hours) is $134, according to Coffin. C7 lights are the old large light strings that get hot. Many people already have switched to mini-lights or twinkle lights, which cost about $35 a season to use. New LED holiday lights cost even less to run: less than $3 for the whole season, or 2 percent of the cost of the old C7 lights. Many families may find they can pay back the cost of new LED lights in one season, says Coffin.

LED flickering lights, which imitate flickering candles without the fire hazard, smoke or dripping wax, also are available, she adds.

Other cost-saving options for holiday lighting include fiber optic lighting that allows the illumination of multiple light points from one light source. Also, candelabra compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are great for candlesticks, use about 80 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer. “Rope lights” also are suitable for indoor or outdoor use, and are ideal for decorating trees or for outlining doors and windows, Coffin says.

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.

Extension Advice on Maine Food for November

ORONO, Me. — With fall comes the arrival of local cranberries and many Mainers believe that no fall or winter holiday table would be complete without at least one cranberry item.

Cranberries can be added to countless dishes, from quick breads, yeast breads, salads, relishes, salsas and chutneys to soups, grain-based entrees and desserts. As cranberries become available, it’s a good idea to buy extras and freeze them for use later on.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension publishes information to help consumers find, grow, use, preserve and store in-season fruits and vegetables in Maine.

Visit http://www.extension.umaine.edu/ to order or download bulletins to fit the season, including November favorites such as Canning and Freezing Quick Guides, Let’s Preserve Apples, and Vegetables and Fruits for Health: Cranberries, Winter Squash and Pumpkins as well as Safe Home Cider Making.

Extension Educator Kathy Savoie from the UMaine Extension Cumberland County office cautions that consumers should get up-to-date information before canning food. Over the years there have been changes in scientific expertise as well as canning equipment, so there is new information on the best methods, canners, jars, and seals to use to ensure a safe result.

Updated recommendations are as close as one’s local UMaine Extension office: visit http://www.extension.umaine.edu or call 800-287-0274 to find an local offices and food preservation workshops.

UMaine Extension Offers Master Gardener Volunteer Training in Lisbon Falls

LISBON FALLS, Me. – University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Lisbon Falls-based staff will offer an eight-week Master Gardener volunteers course starting March 23, 2010.

The deadline to request an application is Nov. 13, 2009 and completed applications are due by Jan. 8, 2010.

UMaine Extension Educator Tori Jackson will collaborate with experts from around the state to present basic horticulture and volunteer training.

The course fee is based on a sliding scale from $110-$330, with a limited number of scholarships available. For more information or to request an application contact Dana Rickman at (207) 353-5550.

UMaine Extension programs are open and accessible to all in accordance with program goals.