It appears more B.C. residents are going all out this year when it comes to sharing the Halloween spirit.
A new report from BC Hydro says about 25 per cent of British Columbians are going to, or already have, set up "mega displays" for the big night of Oct. 31 and plan to do the same for Christmas.
Of that group, 10 per cent said they're putting more effort into Halloween this year, explaining they feel like they "missed out" on celebrations given the state of COVID-19 in October 2020.
The utility company explains 15 per cent of survey participants said they've seen an uptick in big Halloween displays around their neighbourhood since the start of the pandemic, undoubtedly to boost morale during uncertain times.
In a press release, spokesperson Susie Rieder says consumer spending for decorations is on pace to set an all-time high, including the use of outdoor lights, jack-o-lanterns and giant inflatables for everyone to see — all of which require a healthy amount of electricity.
She warns bills and costs are likely to soar with all those plug-ins, of which 20 per cent of residents surveyed said they will use.
"BC Hydro data shows holiday displays account for about three per cent of the provincial electricity load during the holidays, and Halloween displays could eventually reach that level if the trend continues at its current pace."
Rieder adds 22 per cent of British Columbians are set to use a mix of lighting for their mega Halloween displays such as older incandescent lights and LEDs.
BC Hydro advises haunted house owners to consider the following:
- Switch to LEDs; decorative LED lights last 10 times longer than incandescent lights and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours.
- Plug into timers; reduce electricity costs by only having lights and decorations on when needed.
- Use MyHydro; see how Halloween decorating impacts electricity use by using the electricity tracking tools available on MyHydro, which can be accessed from a mobile device or at bchydro.com.
For more information, visit BC Hydro's website.
