Do flashing Christmas lights use half the power of static ones?

Christmas lights

Do flashing Christmas lights use up half the electricity that static Christmas lights do as they're only on half the time?

Mystery Hour Question

Do flashing Christmas lights use up half the electricity that static Christmas lights do as they're only on half the time?

Richard, Ealing

Answer

**Definitive**

Name: Joe, Watford

Answer: Exactly the same amount of electricity, because the capacitor in the lights fills up and empties out like a battery, the capacitor is always on, so they use the same amount of electricity.