A man looks at the Christmas lights displayed on a house on December 1, 2008 in Melksham, England. (Getty Images)more pics »For most people, decorating their house for the holiday season means hauling musty boxes from their basements to hang up a few strings of Christmas lights. For UK resident Alex Goodwind, it means calling the power company and digging up the street in order to run industrial electric cables to his house.
That's because Goodwind puts up a staggering amount of Christmas lights -- nearly 100,000 bulbs, not mention myriad other light-up figurines and displays. This year alone, he spent an additional £3,000, about $4,500 in American dollars, in spiffing up his display, which is valued at £30,000, or $45,000.
It's not just upgrading the lights that adds to the bill. Goodwind spends £700 a year on electricity, about $1,000 American, nearly double what the average British consumer pays.
Goodwind invests so much in Christmas cheer to raise money for charity. After his mother passed away from cancer a few years ago, he began decorating his home in Melksham, Wiltshire to raise money. Visitors give donations to cancer research organizations.
The Grinches among us might note that while Goodwind spent £3,000 already this year on Christmas lights, he only raised £2,000 for charity last year. But then, a £3,000 check would hardly light up the neighborhood in quite the same way.
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