What would be the cost to power Clark Griswold’s holiday lights in today’s world in 2024?
The holiday season is a cherished time for gathering and enjoying classic seasonal films like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, which holds a special fondness among Chicago-area residents. A standout scene in the movie features the determined protagonist, Clark Griswold, portrayed by actor Chevy Chase, ambitiously adorning his house with 25,000 dazzling holiday lights, aiming to outshine every other home on the block. While he achieves his luminous goal, it comes at the price of a neighborhood power outage.
Now, pondering the question: How much did it cost Clark Griswold to illuminate his house in the brightest holiday glory? Set in 1989, we can infer that the Griswold family utilized incandescent holiday lights. Assuming Clark powered these lights for five hours daily throughout December, the electricity bill solely for the lights, based on current rates, is estimated at $240 per day or $7,462 for the entire month. Quite a hefty sum for a solitary home’s light extravaganza! Fortunately, today we have the option of energy-efficient LED lights, consuming 80 percent less electricity than traditional incandescent counterparts. When paired with already economical residential rates, replicating Griswold’s grand display would only incur a cost of $52 daily or a total of $1,612 monthly.
Wishing all a joyous, secure, and energy-efficient holiday season!