PROVO, Utah, Dec. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Vivint™, the largest home automation services company in North America, helps customers save big on energy during the holiday season, an otherwise energy-consuming time of year.

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Although many homeowners may not realize it, the holidays are a prime time of year for energy waste. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, holiday lighting consumes the equivalent electricity of 500,000 homes in just one month. And from Thanksgiving to New Years, Americans will throw away 25% more trash than they typically throw out the rest of the year. Because wasted electricity and extra trash lead to higher utility bills and more environmental strain, many customers are seeking ways to celebrate a greener holiday.

Home automation is one solution homeowners are utilizing. Vivint customer Kyle Turner from Dallas, Texas, uses his Vivint system to reduce waste and keep his home cheerful for the holiday. With Vivint small appliance modules, Turner has been able to put his lights and Christmas tree on an automatic schedule to make sure it turns on and off at the right time.

"We've scheduled our Christmas tree lights to turn on at 6:00 p.m. and off at 7:00 a.m.," says Turner. "Now there's no need to constantly plug in and unplug the tree, plus we never forget to turn it on! Our Vivint-powered tree has become one of our favorite holiday traditions, and this year we're planning to do the same with our electric LED candles in the street-facing windows. It's so easy."

To help other homeowners like Turner discover new ways to save energy this winter, Vivint is providing five holiday tips to save energy at home this season: 

1. Energy-efficient appliances—A perfect gift this Christmas, energy-efficient appliances use between 10 and 50% less energy than their conventional counterparts.
2. Home automation—Smart home technology like Vivint allows homeowners to automatically lock and unlock their doors, control holiday lights remotely, and schedule their smart thermostats all from a smartphone. All of these features save energy, and the smart thermostat alone can save up to $180 a year in energy costs.
3. LED light bulbs—LED Christmas lights (and LED lights in general) only use 10 percent of the power needed by incandescent lights and they last as much as 10 times longer. Conveniently, Vivint's Energy Management package comes with 12 energy-efficient bulbs.
4. Recycling—Recycling holiday wrapping supplies is a small effort that can make a big difference. In fact, if every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. 
5. Solar—Installing solar panels is one of the greenest power solutions for any homeowner—and a great green gift. Thanks to solar's growing popularity, it has also become possible to install a solar energy system with no upfront costs and see huge savings immediately. For example, Vivint Solar can save customers 20–30% on their utility bills.

To learn more about Vivint's products and services, visit www.vivint.com or call Vivint's Customer Care team at 800.216.5232.

About Vivint
Vivint is a leading provider of home technology services. Vivint services are delivered through a technology-based platform that integrates a wide range of wireless features and components to provide simple, affordable home security, energy management, home automation, and solar solutions. Our vision is to connect customers to the things that matter most—their homes, families, health, cars, and businesses. In 2011, Vivint's Home Automation package and Advanced Security package received a Consumers Digest "Best Buy" rating. Vivint also received the 2012 CSAA Central Station of the Year award for overall excellence in monitoring, training, and quality relationships with customers. Dedicated to protecting families, increasing energy efficiency, and simplifying lives, Vivint has over 13 years of experience and supports more than 800,000 customers throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, visit the company's website at www.vivint.com.

Media Contact:
Megan Herrick
Director of Public Relations
mherrick@vivint.com

SOURCE Vivint