Cost of Christmas light installation

The cost to install Christmas lights in 2024

The average cost for professional Christmas light installation tends to fall between £200 and £500.

These prices will increase or decrease depending on whether you need a team of contractors for an ambitious installation and if the lights are in hard-to-reach places.

When calling in a contractor for a helping hand, be sure to state whether there will be any potential problems accessing the area. This will determine whether or not they need additional tradespeople to support or specialist equipment.

If you provide the lights yourself, your costs will inevitably come down. However, if you want everything handled by a skilled tradesperson, a good rule of thumb is to keep aside £3 – £5 per foot to provide for lights and labour. We recommend budgeting around £350 for the job.

Looking for some inspiration with your outdoor Christmas lights this year?

Check out these festive ideas to get you (and your neighbours) feeling Christmassy!

How much do Christmas lights cost to run?

The key thing to consider when calculating the cost of Christmas light installation is how much the lights will cost to run.

Electricity in the UK, on average, costs 27p per kilowatt-hour (October 2023 price cap).

How much do Christmas tree lights cost to run?

The running costs for a Christmas tree will depend on the size of the tree, the amount of lights and the type of lights. Here’s an example of how much a typical Christmas tree would cost to run:

• 1,000 compact LEDs rated at 6W
• On for 8 hours per day
• £0.27/kWh X 0.006kW X 8 hours = 1.3p per day

Or, 40p for the whole of December.

How much does an outdoor light installation cost to run?

For a significant outdoor light installation comprised of:

• 15W X 4 lengths of netting lights = 8m X 2m = 800 LEDS = 60W
• 40m of string lights = 300 LEDS = 15W
• 4m of cluster lights = 300 LEDs =5W
• 20m of icicle lights = 1000 LEDs = 30W

That is on for eight hours a day, you can expect to pay:

£0.27/kWh X 0.11kW X 8 hours = 24p per day

Or, £7.37 for the whole of December.

How to keep running costs down

One way to keep running costs down is using plug-in timers to control when lights are on. Plug-in timers only cost a few pounds to buy but could end up saving you a lot of money on your bills.

Another way to reduce your running costs is to invest in solar powered lights. These lights won’t be reliant on your mains electricity, but be aware that they need to be in a sunny spot to charge throughout the day.

The key considerations for Christmas light installation

As with most home decoration tasks, many different elements can influence the cost of Christmas light installation. The types of lights, the size of the property and the level of customisation can all be factors that drive up the price of your installation.

Invest in as high-quality lights as your budget allows to save yourself on costs for the years to come.

Make sure you don’t overload any circuits. If you do, it could cause your whole display to cut out. If you’re in doubt, talk to an electrician about power demands/transformer requirements.

Remember, safety first. If specialist equipment will be required to get your decorations up in difficult places – it’s a job you should definitely call in some help for.

And finally, make sure you only use outdoor rated lights outside.

FAQs

What do I need to install Christmas lights professionally?

For a successful Christmas lights installation, you will need lots of Christmas lights, extension cables, access to electricity or solar power, and either glue, nails or tacks. Depending on the scope of your installation, you may also need a ladder, hammer and – as we are in the UK – waterproof cabling.

What Christmas lights do professionals use?

Professional Christmas light installers typically use commercial-quality LED light strings with co-axial connectors. This type of lighting is incredibly durable and can be relied upon throughout the winter season. As they are LED lights, this typically keeps the Christmas light installation prices down as the running costs are low for LED lighting.

Can I install Christmas lights by myself?

Depending on your ambitions, installing Christmas lights ranges from straightforward to nightmarish. Simple installs can be conducted by a novice no problem. However, if you want to wow your neighbours with festive light shows and be crowned the king or queen of Christmas, it’s probably best to consult the professionals.