Above: Colourful Halloween decorations displayed outside a home.
VANCOUVER: Halloween is giving Christmas a run for its money as increasingly elaborate displays transform homes across B.C. A new BC Hydro survey* finds four in 10 households that decorate for both holidays saying they now decorate just as much or more for Halloween than Christmas.
And Halloween's rise has been hard to miss. More than 80 per cent say Halloween decorations have become more elaborate and widespread over the past decade, while nearly two-thirds say Halloween has become one of the biggest decorating holidays of the year.
The trend is showing up on front lawns and homes across the province, with decorations stretching well beyond traditional jack-o'-lanterns. More than 20 per cent use inflatables and 16 per cent use animated or moving decorations.
From glowing pumpkins to giant inflatables and moving monsters to light displays, Halloween decorations have become more elaborate bringing bigger electricity demands. For example, a fog machine can draw between 400 and 1,200 watts while heating, while some larger animated decorations can draw between 30 and 200 watts while operating. The longer these decorations run, the more electricity they can consume.
British Columbians are also getting a head start on the spooky season, with more than one-quarter (27 per cent) turning on their electric decorations at least 15 days before Halloween. More than one-third (37 per cent) leave their displays running for four to six hours on a typical evening. Some people are taking steps to manage energy use, nearly half (44 per cent), are using a timer or smart plug to control usage while their decorations are on.
"Halloween decorating has gone from a few pumpkins on the porch to some seriously impressive displays, and for many British Columbians it's starting to rival Christmas," said Mora Scott, spokesperson for BC Hydro. "As decorations get bigger and the season gets longer, BC Hydro is offering some simple tips to keep the costs down."
BC Hydro recommends thinking about these energy-saving tips when decorating:
- Download the new BC Hydro app so you can easily track your energy usage and find opportunities to save.
- Choose LED lighting and save about $40 over the holiday season. LED holiday lights also last 10 times longer than incandescent lights and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours.
- Using timers or smart plugs to help reduce electricity costs by only having lights and inflatables on when needed.
- Join BC Hydro's Team Power Smart for free to help make managing and reducing electricity easier. BC Hydro has tripled its Team Power Smart Reduction Challenge reward from $50 to $150 for income-qualified households. Customers who sign up for the challenge from Oct. 15, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027 will be eligible for the reward if they reduce their usage by 10 per cent over the course of a year.
Contact:
BC Hydro Media Relations
Email: media@bchydro.com
Phone: 604 928 6468
*These are the findings of a survey conducted by BC Hydro from October 16th to October 20th, 2026 among a representative sample of 815 online British Columbians aged 18+ who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/-3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.