Whether you believe Christmas is the birthday of Jesus, a time to relax with friends and family, or just a great opportunity to get presents, you can’t help but get caught up in all the fun and excitement – especially if you have children.

Even if you don't indulge in the whole 'Christmas spirit' thing – it's the end of the year, most people are on holiday and it's likely you will be either going away or spending time at home with family and friends. If you are heading off somewhere exciting, you'll probably have a host of security lights lined up to go on and off at various times in your house, or motion sensors in the garden and driveway. Incandescent lights use far more electricity than necessary, and are likely to blow and die on you just when you need them most and you're not there to replace them. Fluorescent low-wattage lights are just as prone to self-destruction and also create hazardous waste. LEDs, on the other hand, are designed to last. Sure, one needs to spend more upfront but this is very small in comparison to the lifetime cost and energy cost of the lights. You can save as much as 90% of the energy used by your lights with LED bulbs.

Replacing your household lights with LEDs makes financial as well as environmental sense in the long run, so now is a good time to do it. Give yourself a Christmas present of a future with hardly ever having to change light bulbs.

And, if you're not going away, or you've got the family round to your home, you can stay up late, reading, chatting and playing board games with the kids knowing that the extra quality time is not sending your electricity meter spinning round and round, and your carbon footprint isn't growing out of all proportion.

Then, of course, there is the other cool thing about Christmas – they don't call it the silly season for nothing. It's a time to let your hair down and play. Indulge your inner child.

Most of us don't go quite as wild about decorating our houses as they do in the USA, or in Bothasig, but we do like to make an effort and pretty up the place – preferably with some form of decorative light. That's  a bit tricky in this era of rolling blackouts, global climate change and watching your carbon footprint. It seems, well, irresponsible to light up the house with unnecessary frippery. But that's where LEDs really shine. These bright and beautiful lights use so little electricity you can decorate with a clear conscience.

And they're so pretty. Whether you want to cover the front of the house with fairy lights or decorate a tree, you can choose from a veritable rainbow of colours. And, unlike incandescent lights, which are all white and merely shine through different coloured glass, LEDs really are different coloured lights, which is why the colour is so intense – and that's important if you're making a style statement.

 Or, and here is where they really come into their own, you could be sophisticated, and decorate your space with hundreds of tiny clear white lights – a definite style statement. It's like Fairyland – all crystalline sparkles and points of light.

Whatever you do, enjoy yourself, and the chances are that – like most of us – reducing your carbon footprint will be on your list of new year's resolutions. LEDs are but one of the many ways you can start doing that.

So, have a fabulous time out with your loved ones, whatever your religious or philosophical leanings, and here's to a wonderful, peaceful, sustainable 2012.