Check last year's lights
Look for cracked bulbs, damaged cables, loose connections and scorch marks. If anything looks wrong, bin them – lights are cheap compared with the alternative. Older sets with traditional bulbs run much hotter than LEDs.
Buy from reputable retailers
Counterfeit and poorly made lights turn up every year, especially online. Buy from known retailers and look for the UKCA or CE mark. Very cheap transformers and plugs are a common weak point.
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Outdoors needs outdoor-rated
- Use lights and leads designed for outdoor use
- Plug outdoor lights into an RCD-protected socket, ideally a proper outdoor socket
- Don't run indoor extension leads through windows or doors
- Keep connections off the ground and away from puddles
- Use a timer so they're not on all night
Indoors, keep it sensible
Don't overload sockets with adaptors – Christmas is when extension leads multiply. Keep lights away from curtains, cards and anything paper, and switch them off when you go to bed or leave the house.
