Cheery Chelmsford man lights up home for Christmas despite extra £200 a month cost

Paul Bibby from Chelmsford, Essex, has covered every inch of his home with Christmas lights - despite soaring energy bills.
Paul Bibby, 58, forks out an extra £200 a month to light up his Chelmsford home for Christmas Credit: BPM Media

A man who decorates his house with thousands of Christmas lights annually is having to pay an extra £200 a month to cover his electric bill this year.

Last year Paul Bibby, 58, strung up 30,000 bulbs as he covered every inch of his home in Chelmsford, Essex, with illuminations and festive inflatables including an eight-foot tall Santa, a penguin, and a gingerbread man that sits on top of his car.

Mr Bibby, who works as a carer for his son, says he has "no idea" how many lights he has this year but with 90 switches to flick on and eight inflatables to blow up it is a routine that can take him over half an hour every day.

Paul Bibby outside his Essex home which he decorates with thousands of lights every year. Credit: BPM Media

Despite costing him an extra £7 a day due to the increase in energy prices, Mr Bibby says he does it to bring joy to people and raise money for the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

Mr Bibby has raised nearly £3,000 for the charity since he began fundraising.

He said: "I hear stories from people who say that their children have smiled for the first time when they see the lights. I just want to help people be happy.

"It's not nice [the cost] when it's running, but the joy is for everyone."

It is not just Christmas time that Paul likes to decorate his semi-detached property.

He covered his home with 100 Union Jacks for the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

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