With the price of electricity going through the roof in UK, why is it necessary for councils to switch on their Christmas lights now, talk about waste of money, two weeks before Christmas would be more reasonable.

I agree, a total waste of money.

I agree.  I see the idiots who light their houses up like Blackpool Illuminations are not bothering this year

I expect those who moved here over 18 years ago, like me, will remember when we first arrived that we never saw a light, or a banner hung across the road wishing everyone a Felize Navidad, until a maximum of 2 weeks before the event, possibly a lot less.  It seems that the more expats moved to the region, the earlier it became.  I wonder if the day will come that they start hanging them again at the end of Easter...