Today, as we face increased energy demands and costs, manufacturers are looking for more ways to bring green products and technology to consumers. One of the latest trends is in "green" Christmas and holiday lights, reports kate.net. By using eco-friendly LED lights, manufacturers have found a way for consumers to leave their Christmas lights on without worry. Here are some of the benefits of using LED Christmas lights instead of traditional incandescent lights:

• Long Lasting: LEDs (or Light Emitting Diodes) are small, solid bulbs known for their high energy efficiency. LEDs can last up to 50,000 hours or more, whereas standard incandescent bulbs last only about 1,000 hours. The longer lasting your Christmas lights, the more security you have knowing that you wont have to change them before the holidays are over. This saves you both time and money.
• Energy and Cost Efficient: LEDs use just a fraction of the wattage that incandescent bulbs do, producing more light per watt. Because LEDs are so much more efficient, they save both energy and resultant energy costs. To give you an idea just how efficient LED technology can be, many cities nationwide are switching out incandescent traffic lights with LED lights because these lights can cut electricity costs by 80% or more. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, "If every home in the U.S. switched to LED holiday lights, we could save $160 million in energy costs this season alone."^*
• Cool to the Touch: Highly energy efficient, LED light bulbs are much cooler than incandescent bulbs, producing about 3.4 BTUs (British Thermal Units) per hour, compared to 85 for traditional incandescent bulbs, which emit about 98 percent of their energy as heat. This means you don뭪 have to worry about burning your fingers when handling your LED Christmas lights, and they are less likely to cause Christmas trees or shrubbery to catch fire. Additionally, LEDs dont have a fragile filament or tube to worry about, as incandescent bulbs do. This means that LEDs are heat, cold, and shock-resistant - perfect for using indoors and outdoors.
• Mercury-Free: No mercury is used in the manufacturing of LEDs, meaning disposal is safe, particularly compared to disposal of compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs).
• Just as Colorful: LED Christmas lights come in as many fun colors, styles, and shapes as traditional incandescent Christmas lights— everything from elegant LED icicle lights and traditional string Christmas lights to electric LED candles and holiday lighting displays. The selection of LED Christmas lights is tremendous.