Give Thanks for Saving Energy!

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Happy holidays! Being thankful and sharing large meals with loved ones typically characterizes the holiday season. We’re often not so thankful for our energy bills, though, as we tend to be wasteful with our energy usage during this time of year.  However, properly planning your holidays can help cut down on unnecessary energy usage and keep some extra money in your pocket for the holiday season. Here are some ways to save energy during the holiday season!

  • Be thrifty with energy usage when cooking.  When preparing meals, figure out the most efficient way to fit as many things on your oven at the same time as possible so you can save energy.
  • Keep an eye on your thermostat.  If you will be using your oven for a large portion of the day, you can lower your thermostat because your stove will produce heat and this can help keep your home nice and toasty. With this in mind, turn on your ceiling fans so that warm air can circulate.
  • Choose the right pots and pans.  Try to select ceramic or glass dishes. These materials absorb and retain heat so well that you can lower your oven’s temperature by 25 degrees and still achieve the same results.
  • Cook without the oven if you can!  Try using microwaves and slow cookers whenever possible. These appliances use less energy than an oven, and microwaves cook food very quickly.
  • Keep a lid on it.  Use lids on pots of food whenever possible.  This will help retain heat.
  • Minimize dirty dishes.  Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts are known for producing a lot of dirty dishes. Reducing the number of dirty dishes is one easy way to save energy after a holiday meal. Try to use multi-functional cookware as much as possible. Multi-functional cookware would be a dish that you can prepare, serve, and preserve food in. This cuts down on the number of dishes you will use and therefore makes cleaning up much easier. Plus, you will save energy by having fewer dishes to do.
  • For more information about cleaning up after holiday meals, click here.

We hope you have a happy and safe holiday season!