slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

How Much Do Christmas Lights Normally Cost to Run?

Kastalia Medrano, Newsweek • December 26, 2017

Exactly how much holiday cheer is too much? Pennsylvania resident Mary Horomanski recently received an electric bill for $284,460,000,000, forcing her to briefly consider whether her Christmas lights were responsible. That amount, as the Washington Post calculated, could net you all of Netflix, or perhaps 747 Boeing 747s.

“I opened it up and there it was,” she told the Post, before describing how she began counting the figure’s commas. “Hundreds. Thousands. Millions. Billions. . . . Can most people even count that high?”

Fortunately for Horomanski, the number ultimately proved to be an error on the part of her electric provider, Penelac. First Energy, the provider’s parent company, stated that a decimal point had been accidentally moved and corrected her bill to $284.46, according to the Associated Press.

“We had Christmas lights outside, but we don’t have the ‘[National Lampoon’s] Christmas Vacation’ lights,” Horomanski told the Post. “And I’m looking at my Christmas tree, and I’m like, no, that wouldn’t have caused it . . . ”

If you’re curious about exactly how many cents per kilowatt hour your home state spends per month, the United States Energy Information Administration records that information here. As for decoration-specific costs, in 2012 Wired performed some pretty in-depth calculations around the holiday-light electric-bill phenomenon and came up with a figure of $233 million—for the entire United States. Even the insanely well-lit house from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation would run its fictional owners somewhere between $1.56 and $11 per day, depending on a few variables like bulbs and wattage. Old-school incandescent bulbs will run up a bigger tab than smaller, modern LEDs.

badbobby Loc: texas

egad

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Could'a been worse, BB. It could'a been your bill...or worse, mine.

I wonder if the 'lectric company would accept a payment plan.

mwdegutis Loc: Illinois

Maybe she fell asleep watching too many soap operas?

badbobby Loc: texas

they should
my credit is good
I owe everybody
(cept for two Marines who think they know how to play poker)

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

We knew enough to win from you, pay our 'lectric bills...and, then some

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

Perhaps they could move the decimal over another place or two.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

If you knew how to play you wouldn't owe the two of us so much. You are fortunate we like you and haven't turned the IOU's over to a collection company.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Hell, Salty, just have 'em turned over to the government and pay off the national debt.

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

Now that is a marvelous suggestion. Yessiree bob.

badbobby Loc: texas

if reality would take you around the world
you two dreamers couldn't get out of sight
durn dastardly Marines
please make at least an effort to pay just a pittance of the tremendous amount of IOUs I'm holding from the two of you

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

You mean those we still hold bearing your signature? Or those of yours you are withholding from us. That is OK, we have enough of yours to wallpaper the guest house...again.

slatten49 Loc: Lake Whitney, Texas

Heck, Salty, it is likely we have enough to wallpaper the Congressional House of Representatives and U.S. Senate

badbobby Loc: texas

hey Slat
this post of yours about the electric bill
has finally made it to the TV news
saw the report this AM

BTW
you two wake up now
it's time to put your dreams aside
and face reality
pay me your IOUs--at least a small effort would be preciated
just a little bit guys

PoppaGringo Loc: Muslim City, Mexifornia, B.R.

m to

Are you requesting we return some of your IOU's we are holding? I can't see how that would help you since you seem to be unable to redeem them while in our possession.