Get ready to have a happy holiday with these 12 helpful energy tips focused on safety and savings.
Safety — it’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year! Put a carbon monoxide alarm on your holiday shopping list or check existing detectors to ensure they are working properly.
All we want for the holidays is a blue flame on your natural gas range. That blue flame means your stovetop is working properly. A yellow flame is a sign the range may need to be adjusted by a professional.
Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the space heater inside is delightful. Just make sure you use it safely. Place it on a flat surface away from children and pets, and keep it at least 6 feet away from flammable materials like wrapping paper and holiday decorations.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! But, please safely brush away snow and ice from your home’s natural gas meter and vents. The extra weight can stress or crack meter piping, causing a natural gas leak.
Keep your baking spirits bright by using the light. Don’t open the oven door to peek at your holiday goodies — it increases cooking time and wastes energy. Use the oven light instead.
Make dinner merry and bright with a tasty casserole. If you use glass or ceramic pans, try setting your oven temperature 25 degrees lower than the recipe indicates. Your hot dish may cook just as quickly.
When making latkes, match the pan size with a similar-sized burner. This not only uses heat more efficiently, but also reduces cooking time.
“It’s time!” (sung in our best Mariah Carey voice) to save both energy and time in the kitchen with small appliances, like microwaves, slow cookers and air fryers. These appliances typically use less energy than ovens, cook faster and have almost no preheat time.
Make it the hap-hap-happiest season when you save money by turning down your thermostat. Lower it just a few degrees from your regular setting when you are nestled all snug in bed. While visions of sugarplums dance in your head, this step will make a big difference in your energy costs.
It’s a clinker! Don’t let that blasted furnace leave your holiday story bitter. Schedule annual tune-ups and change the filter regularly to keep it running safely and efficiently all winter long.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year … to set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees. For most homeowners, storage-type water heaters set above 120 F are using more energy without providing any additional benefits. Setting your hot water heater to 120 F can cut water heating costs by 10%.
Keep Jack Frost from nipping at your nose. Use weatherstripping and caulk to seal gaps around windows, doors and siding. This will improve your energy efficiency and leave you feeling warm and jolly.