DECEMBER is days away, and soon we’ll see Christmas trees up in every household across the UK. 

Whether you like to go all out with Christmas lights everywhere or just a few dotted around your home, it’s important to think about the cost of running them. 

Though small, Christmas lights will use up some electricity and if you are looking to cut back this year you will need to be mindful of how long your Christmas lights are on for. 

Shoppers are rushing to Amazon to nab a gadget which makes managing your Christmas lights so much easier.

Amazon is selling a mechanical timer plug for just over £4 and they are perfect if you are in and out of the house during Christmas and still want to manage your energy usage. 

The plugs slot into a normal plug socket and any device you connect to will be controlled with the gadget’s timer. 

This way you can set a time for when you want the device to turn off so you’re not wasting any electricity. 

The plug is great for controlling a range of household appliances such as TVs, fans, and humidifiers. 

You can set a time for phone charging, lighting systems include lamps and especially Christmas lights.

This timer switch can be set to turn appliances on and off automatically throughout the day. Setting times range from 30 minutes to 24 hours. 

Settings are changed with an easy to use know which is child-protected so you won’t have to worry about your kids fiddling with your timer. 

You can set your own schedule for when to activate or deactivate the devices. Settings will repeat daily once programmed.

You can buy a pack of three of these plugs for just £12.73 in the Black Friday deal, 15% cheaper than the usual retail price of £14.99.

The gadget has received rave reviews online with many shoppers explaining how effective it is when controlling Christmas lights. 

One shopper said: “Have used these for years. During the year they turn on lights indoors. But at Christmas they are brilliant every decoration that is electric all come on at the same time. And switch off at the same time.” 

They continued: “Every room in our house gets decorated, so they make Christmas a lot easier. Well worth the money. Excellent quality and very easy to use!”

Another shopper described the gadget as: “Smart looking. Good value for money.

“Really needed these for lights that I can’t reach sockets, timers fiddly a bit but once set work well and keep time, impressed therefore bought a second set of three ready for Christmas lights,” claimed a third. 

You can get similar devices in other retailers as well so make sure you shop around before choosing one.

Wicked has a 24-hour mechanical plug-in timer for £4.45, while Dunelm has one for £5.

In B&Q prices start from £5.50, The Range has a mini-timer for £3.49 but they are best for smaller devices like lamps and or chargers. 

With Amazon, it’s always best to check the reviews and product descriptions carefully as the quality is not always guaranteed. 

Bear in mind you will have to pay for delivery as well. However some products with be available for free next-day delivery if you are a Prime member.

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