Get ready to have a happy holiday with these 12 helpful energy tips focused on safety and saving you money.
Safety — it’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year! Put a carbon monoxide detector on your holiday shopping list, or check your 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 that 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 it the hap-hap-happiest season when you save money by turning down your thermostat. Adjusting the temperature just a few degrees when you are nestled all snug in bed, while visions of sugarplums dance in your head, 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 tuneups and change the filter regularly to keep it running safely and efficiently all winter long.
When making latkes, match the pan size with a similar-sized burner. This not only uses heat more efficiently, but also reduces cooking time.
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.
Turn the oven off a few minutes early to finish cooking your roast beast. As long as the oven door remains closed, enough heat will be stored inside to finish your “Who” feast.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year … to lower your water heater temperature to 120 degrees. The average household spends about $300 a year on water heating costs. Lowering the temperature is an easy way to be of good cheer and rack up big savings.
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.