5 Tips for Using Less Energy While Being Festive

Most home energy bills increase during the holiday season. There are two common-sense reasons for this:

• The colder weather outside means people turn up the heat; and
• Holiday activities like baking, decorating, and parties simply use lots of energy.

We can help you curb your energy use inside your home by tweaking a few traditional energy efficiency tips to be more seasonally relevant. Because the last thing we want to do is dim your holiday spirit in hopes of using less energy.

#1 Use LED lights

Everyone loves lights on their tree … except your electricity bill. Those twinkling strings of lights that illuminate your home aren’t the most efficient lighting technology on the market, especially if you haven’t updated them in several years. We recommend ditching your old holiday incandescent lights for new-school LED bulbs that are 90% more efficient. Not only do they use less energy, but they’ll also last longer, and they’re safer amid the drying leaves and branches of your tree.

#2 Cook with energy efficiency in mind

Between the parties, opening the presents, and all the time away from work and school, the holidays are filled to overflowing with yummy treats to eat. So, unless you’re ordering all that food via delivery apps, you will use your kitchen … A LOT. As you plan all of your holiday meals, dishes, and desserts, review our 4 steps for creating an energy-efficient kitchen:

• Don’t preheat your oven
• Leave your oven closed while in use
• Match the pot size to the burner size
• Only run the dishwasher when it’s full>/li>

As an added bonus, you should bake multiple dishes simultaneously in the oven whenever possible to maximize your energy use.

#3 Lower the thermostat

Yes, we understand it’s cold outside, so you want to stay as warm as possible. Instead of cranking up the heater, we encourage you to set your thermostat at 68 degrees F and ask your family members to wear a sweater and warm socks if they get cold. It’s pretty simple – the less you use the heat, the lower your energy bill will be in the winter.

#4 Unplug your lights during the day

Even though you use energy-efficient LED lights for all your holiday decorations, you still shouldn’t keep them on all day long. Constant usage lowers the lifespan of those lights, and the cost of using electricity to run them costs money that could be spent on gifts, groceries, and other holiday necessities.

#5 Use smart power strips

By plugging your lights, decorations, and related electronics into a smart power strip, you can independently control which outlets get power. This helps you control how, when, and where electricity is being used around the house. Some smart power strips even come with a smartphone app wherein you can create schedules for each outlet.

The holidays will always be a time for increased energy use. But by heeding these 5 energy efficiency tips, you can proactively manage your energy usage, allowing yourself to enjoy the season without worrying about a high energy bill.