Warning issued to anyone who has had their Christmas lights over 4 years

Homeowners have been issued a warning over their festive lights this Christmas period, as experts say they become a safety risk after a certain number of years. Specialists at LED & Power are urging households to replace their Christmas tree lights every four years to minimise the risk of accidental house fires . The older the Christmas lights are, the higher the risk of electric shocks and overheating.

This can significantly heighten the risk of fires, especially when in close proximity to flammable materials like tinsel or the Christmas tree itself. Incandescent Christmas tree lights have an average total operational time of 1,000 to 3,000 hours. Using this, LED & Power explain that having Christmas tree lights on for eight hours a day throughout December would equal 248 hours each