Temperatures are cooling and leaves are starting to change colour: Halloween is just around the corner. It's time to transform the front of your house into a haunted castle. But before you start setting up glowing pumpkins, string lights and inflatable ghosts, there are a few steps you should take to ensure a safe Halloween that won't drive up your electricity bill.
1. Choose decorations and extension cords suitable for outdoor use
Opt for products designed for outdoor use, as decorations or extension cords meant for indoor use aren't always resistant to rain or moisture. Our tip: Choose products whose packaging clearly states "for outdoor use," keep connections elevated and away from water, and use an outlet protected by a GFCI.
2. Inspect the equipment prior to setting it up
As you take out your decorations, check the cords, plugs, and connections. Our tip: Do this as you unpack, so you can set aside anything that's damaged right away.
3. Calculate the load before adding more decorations
The more lights you have, the higher the electricity demand. Best practice: Avoid plugging all your decorations into a single extension cord. Distribute them across multiple electrical outlets to reduce the risk of overloading.
If your decorating project is on the scale of a movie set, consult a master electrician (in French only) .
4. Hide the cords to prevent tripping
A beautiful display also starts with a well-planned setup. Our tip: Plan your cable routing in advance and keep the cords out of high-traffic areas.
This is especially important if the neighborhood's little vampires and witches will be walking past your house.
5. Choose LED lights
LED bulbs use less energy and give off less heat. Our tip: Combine several LED string lights for a decorative effect with depth, without unnecessarily increasing electricity consumption and driving up your bill.
6. Schedule your decorations
There's no need to keep your house lit up until sunrise. Here's a simple tip: Use a timer to control when your decorations turn on and off and avoid wasting energy at night.
This way, you can enjoy the results of your efforts during the hours when they're actually visible—and Hydro‑Québec thanks you for it!
7. Make safety part of the decor
Keep heat sources away from flammable materials such as fake spiderwebs, paper, cardboard, and fabric. LED candles create a beautiful ambiance without this risk.
With a few good habits, you can create an impressive Halloween display while keeping your electrical setup safe. Because on Halloween, the only things that should be scary are the decorations and the costumes!
