The Johnson family of suburban Detroit is bracing for a surge in their utilities this month, after Henry Johnson installed enough Christmas lights to his house to account for an estimated 800% increase in electricity usage for December. Johnson’s display, which features thousands of lights and dozens of moving figures, is his most extensive use of Christmas decorations to date, and is likely to surpass his electricity bill from 2017, which saw a 700% surge.
“I’ve been saving up all year to be able to afford how much these holiday lights are gonna cost me, in terms of energy,” Johnson told reporters. “And I gotta say, it’s worth it. Look at all those lights. My neighbors are so jealous.”
Johnson apparently will have to “cut back” on Christmas gifts for family and friends in order to ensure he can afford his utilities, but claims that “they won’t mind…probably” once they see his lighting display.