Everyone loves a beautifully decorated and well lit house on Christmas, but you should remember to keep safety in mind. A lot of lights, cords, and wires are covering your house, and although they are beautiful, you should be aware of what you are risking and maybe consider some alternatives. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure you stay cheery and bright:

Don’t use Grandma’s old Lights – I know they may mean something to you and they might be charming and rustic, but they are not safe to use considering their age. You could be posing a risk. Instead consider using cooler LEDs that are longer lasting.

Keep Cords Together and out of the Way – Make sure all cords are out of the way of where people may walk so no one trips or rips the cords out. Consider tape or clips to keep them together and out of the way!

Damaged Goods – If it looks frayed or damaged in any way, don’t risk it! A skilled electrician might be able to contact an electrician.

It's safe to say that few people actually look forward to doing laundry, and when you have a poorly functioning washer and dryer, the process is only made all the more painful. This is especially true if you live in a space where you have to share your laundry machines with others and are forced to pay for every load you wash. Sending your clothes through a dryer twice is a waste of quarters that you could be saving for your next load - not only that, but running your dryer more times than you need to is sure to start taking a toll on your electric bill.

You have a few options that you can look into to address this issue. If your dryer isn't heating up as much as it should be to actually remove the moisture from your clothes, don't jump to the conclusion that you need to replace it. Many homeowners will make the mistake of buying new appliances, spending hundreds of dollars picking out a top-of-the-line model, only to find that it too isn't adequately drying your clothes.

As we venture further into the era of climate change, humans are constantly searching for ways to decrease energy consumption and increase efficiency. Unfortunately, there's no silver bullet. Truly reducing our impact on the global climate requires a combination of an increase in renewable power generation, behavioral changes to decrease consumption and increasing the efficiency of our homes and appliances. Even as we strive for improvement, sometimes we fall short. According to a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, for example, a federal Weatherization Assistance Program is not bringing in the expected efficiency benefits.

Looking for the Win-Win

Investments in home efficiency are usually considered win-win scenarios. Reductions in energy consumption lessen the impact on the environment and reduce energy bills at the same time. Many upgrades, like replacing an outdated refrigerator with a new Energy Star-certified model, will eventually pay for themselves in energy savings.

However, not every savings promise comes through. The Berkeley study looked at 30,000 households in Michigan that upgraded their home systems with new insulation, weather stripping, HVAC equipment and more. The federal government paid up to $5,000 per house for the improvements, but the average household only realized $2,400 in savings during the lifespan of their new efficiency features. That's not a great return on investment.

Ancillary Benefits

The households saved 10 to 20 percent on their energy costs, on average, which is only about 40 percent of what they were projected to save. The results are discouraging for consumers who are striving to implement any cost-saving measures they can find. Electricians and home service technicians can help you upgrade your home systems, but the changes will only go so far.

There were other benefits to the weatherization program outside the raw financial data, of course. The investments were aimed at low income households, so the money saved helped reduce poverty in the area. Plus, the reduction of carbon in the atmosphere from the program has additional economic benefits. Nevertheless, the disappointing result could be a blow to the willingness of the government to make similar investments in the future.

Let the Buyer Beware

The big lesson for the consumer? Don't believe just any claim about energy efficiency, and do your due diligence before investing in a big-ticket upgrade. You can and should make efforts to reduce your energy consumption, but be careful not to blow your investment dollars on items that don't give you a good return.

"This underscores the value of field-testing," paper author Michael Greenstone said to Vox. "Particularly in a world where economy-wide carbon pricing does not look feasible, we should be redoubling our efforts to find those CO2 reduction measures that have the biggest bang for the buck."

If you need advice on how to get the best return when it comes to energy efficiency, find an experienced electrician who can help you invest your dollars wisely and steer you away from less effective purchases.