The decorative lights seen around U.S. neighborhoods during the holiday season consume about 6.6 billion kWh of energy every year, according to the U.S. Dept. of Energy.

A recent post from the Center for Global Development said that usage exceeds the national electricity consumption of developing countries, such as El Salvador, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nepal, and Cambodia.

While the U.S. number only amounts to 0.2% of U.S. energy consumption, it’s enough to power 14 million refrigerators.

El Salvador, which uses the highest amount of energy of the listed countries, topped its yearly use at 5.35 kWh. Cambodia, the lowest, was at 3.06 billion kWh.

read more: http://www.rdmag.com/news/2015/12/us-christmas-lights-consume-more-energy-some-developing-countries

That is because these third world countries have electrical grids covering only a third of their land.

Thus, the US electrical grid area is over 300x to those in these countries...

Bah Humbug.

If the electricity wasn't used for xmas lights then it would just go to waste by not being used.

Better to burn nonpolluting electricity than rice straw.

Answer=Switch to Festivus.

25% or more of US electricity comes from zero carbon emission sources such as nuclear power. Cambodia, is still part of the dirty fossil fuel generated world.

More nuclear, less coal and gas.