Joy of Christmas

CHRISTMAS carols are now being played more often, hotels and other establishments have begun adorning their facades with glittering lights and soon every household will follow suit in the spirit of the holidays.

But the high cost of electricity on the islands may be like the Grinch who stole Christmas.

This month, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. is charging residential customers 30.2 cents per kilowatt hour.

Commercial establishments will be charged 34.4 cents per kwh while the government will be billed 34.9 cents per kwh — the highest power rates ever imposed in CNMI history.

CUC spokeswoman Pamela Mathis said, depending on volts and watt-demand, Christmas lights typically cost 1 cent to 4.8 cents per kwh.

The Icicle “100” lights will cost you 1 cent per kwh while a regular string of mini tree lights would cost 4.8 cents per kwh.

Lighted Christmas trees should not cost that much if you use the fiber optic type.

Mathis said a 7-ft-tall fiber optic Christmas tree would cost consumers just 1.4 cents per kwh.

A frosty ornament lighted tree would cost 1.8 cents per kwh.

A regular lighted twinkle-tree constant would cost more at 5.9 cents per kwh.

“Costs will decrease a bit if the resident uses 1,000 kwh or less per month,” said Mathis.