During the holidays, our bank accounts take a pounding, but you can save some cash by making simple changes to the way you cook, decorate and celebrate during the holidays. Following are three areas where you can make holiday-season energy savings with little effort.
Efficient Holiday Cooking
Preparing large meals and special treats is one of the largest expenditures in holiday budgets at least in part due to the energy it takes to cook a ham and a turkey, six dozen rolls, 12 dozen cookies, three pies and a cake. With a little planning, you can make those favorite holiday treats while shaving kWh off your energy bills, even without the most efficient appliances. Quick tips include:
- Don’t pre-heat the oven for slow roasting
- Use pans that heat evenly and fit together in the oven
- Use the microwave or toaster oven when possible
- Rely on timers rather than opening the oven frequently
Easy Holiday-Season Energy Savings From Decorations
The real no-brainer of holiday-season energy savings is upgrading to efficient LED lights. If you’ve already made that switch, consider solar power packs for yard decorations, path markers and accent lighting. Also, remember that the lighted Christmas tree itself provides enough ambient light for most situations, so switch the main lighting in the room off and enjoy the glow of the season.
Don’t Let a Big Gathering Boost Your Bills
When you’re hosting the big family meal, boost your holiday-season energy savings by asking guess to avoid going in and out all the time. All the better, if they arrive in a group. You can even save a bit of your heating costs since a big group of people, coupled with a warm oven, will warm up the house. This means your thermostat won’t signal the need for heating as frequently. Also, keep drinks in a cooler or crate out on the porch rather than allowing folks to constantly open/close the fridge.
These tips will help you carve away at the cost of a happy holiday season. To make even bigger holiday-season energy savings in your Lorain area home, please contact the experts at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning today for a consultation.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area