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Bigger and brighter holiday displays help British Columbians get through pandemic blues

A new BC Hydro report says British Columbians are keeping the holiday spirit alive despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

That holiday cheer is coming in the form of more elaborate lighting displays and decorations this year.

The report, titled “Home for the holidays: British Columbians brightening up with more elaborate holiday displays” finds that more than 90 per cent of British Columbians feel COVID-19 will impact how they celebrate the holidays.

And with the majority of us planning on spending more time at home, about 20 per cent say they plan to do more decorating indoors and outdoors.

BC Hydro says holiday displays account for about three per cent of the provincial electricity load during the holiday season, but it’s expecting to see that grow this year as British Columbians ramp up their holiday décor. 

Those bigger and brighter displays will bring some much-needed cheer to 2020, but they could mean higher electricity bills for some. 

BC Hydro says to help keep the bill down you should try and switch to LED bulbs, plug your lights into timers or turn them off when you don’t need them. 

You can also track your usage through the BC Hydro ‘MyHydro’ system.

For more holiday electrical saving tips, or to view the full report, visit BC Hydro’s website. 

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