When Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer first debuted in 1939, nobody cared whether his bright red nose was LED, fluorescent, or incandescent. It was just magic, right? Fast forward to today, and cities around the world are ablaze with holiday decorations ranging from giant inflatable snowmen to massive multi-colored LED light displays. For homeowners, businesses, and municipalities, the festive period is a time to shine. However, it can also be a good time to balance holiday décor with modern energy-saving best practices.

Keep these lighting and energy control ideas in mind as you get into the holiday spirit.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to simplify holiday lighting is to pair outdoor displays with a plug-in timer like the Intermatic HB880R or Intermatic HB51K. With just a few minutes of prep work, the HB880R allows homeowners to create daily ON/OFF schedules for outdoor lights, inflatables, and more. No more trudging through the snow in your pajamas at the end of the night just to flip a switch.

Better still, the timer control includes a durable weatherproof enclosure and is compatible with CFL, Fluorescent, Incandescent, and LED luminaires. Once installed, homeowners can seamlessly swap out decorations throughout the year (e.g., Halloween, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, etc.).

Likewise, homeowners and business owners can avoid the nightly stretch to turn off the Christmas tree lights by connecting an indoor plug-in timer like the TN311 Mechanical Plug-in Timer or DT620 Digital Plug-in Timer. Whether it’s in the living room or the office lobby, installing an indoor plug-in timer takes the guess work out of scheduling and helps conserve energy.

The TN311 offers basic 24-hour programming, which allows homeowners to set multiple ON/OFF triggers throughout the day. Alternatively, the DT620 is an enhanced digital solution that makes it easy to set different ON/OFF schedules depending on the day of the week. Both options can be connected to a point-of-use surge protector to control multiple sets of lights at once, helping homeowners stay stress-free and cozy all winter long.

With smartphones, HDTVs, video game consoles, and tablets at the top of holiday wish lists, it’s no surprise the average household plans to spend close to $1,500 on gifts this season. Keep valuable items in your home – and all the lovely electronic gifts you and your family may receive – protected from power quality issues for years to come with a whole home surge protection solution.

Designed to prevent costly damage caused by power surge events, Intermatic’s IG Series of Residential Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) uses state-of-the-art TPMOV® (Thermally Protected Metal Oxide Varistor) surge protection technology to eliminate potentially hazardous failure modes. As a result, you can enjoy your fun new gadgets without having to worry about their long-term safety.

If sandy beaches and fruity drinks are more your style when the winter months approach, consider installing a 7-Day Programmable Timer, such as the Intermatic ST01 to add an extra level of security to your home while you’re away. Simply giving the illusion of activity within the home while it is unoccupied is a savvy way to deter criminal activity and bring a little peace of mind. This also applies to businesses that shut down over the holiday period or have limited hours.

With the press of a button, the ST01’s Random Mode varies ON/OFF lighting schedules throughout the week to provide a lived-in feel even when nobody is home or at the office.

For commercial businesses and municipalities, the holiday season often means shifting schedules and changes in staffing. One way to simplify building maintenance needs during this period is to install a smart solution like our ETW Series 365-Day Wi-Fi Timer. The versatile smart control can be used to manage indoor and outdoor lighting, as well as other loads (e.g., fans, pumps, motors).

Once installed and onboarded, building managers can quickly adjust schedules or manually turn lights ON/OFF via the Intermatic Connect app from anywhere.

Ready to get started on your holiday lighting projects? Check out Intermatic’s selection of residential and commercial solutions to enhance energy savings this season.