Guest Writer Maggie Baker
The holidays are here, and along with all the family
visits, good food, and extra cheer, the holiday season usually comes with a
hefty energy bill. More people in the home means more usage of everything, plus
decorations draining on electricity and burning through gas running errands
around town. Not only is
this excessive energy usage harmful to our environment, but also it will drain
your wallet. Here are some easy tips to help you save energy (and money)
while still enjoying the holiday season.
- Switch Out Your Holiday Lights
There are many
ways to adjust your usual lighting traditions in favor of saving money on
electricity and reducing your overall energy footprint during the holidays.
●
Skip the Christmas lights. Instead opt for
decor that doesn’t add to the electricity bill like garlands, ornaments, and
candles and other DIY decor projects
that can be a fun tradition for the whole family.
●
Solar lighting. If you’re not quite
ready to let go of the added sparkle, try purchasing Christmas lights that use solar fuses
allowing them to soak up sunlight during the day and stay on all night.
●
LED lighting. LED Christmas lights are
much safer than incandescent ones and although the initial price point is a bit
higher they end up using 80-90% less electricity. Considering most houses
usually leave lights on for 12 hours or more everyday for over a month, savings
will add up.
●
Fiber optics. Yet another
energy-efficient lighting strategy is to try a fiber optic artificial tree this
year. Fiber optic trees and decorations are the
ultimate in energy efficiency. Usually, they can light up the whole tree using
a single bulb at the base of the tree and can be set to change colors too.
- Turn Off Household Appliances
Everything tends
to be a little extra during the holidays. People coming and going and rushing
around, lights and appliances can be forgotten and left on unnecessarily.
There’s no need to resort to eating by candlelight. Make a conscious effort to
walk through the houses periodically to turn off lights in empty rooms and
unplug appliances, electronics or charging devices that aren’t in use. If you
are going on vacation this year, unplug phantom energy users, such as TVs, DVD
players, computers and printers before you leave.
- Cook Efficiently
Use your multitasking skills in the kitchen. You can bake more than one thing in the oven at a time, permitted they use the same temperature (you may need to rotate the racks depending on what you’re making). And don’t peek! Every time you open the door the temperature inside drops by as much as 25%, thereby requiring more energy to get back up to the correct temperature. Instead, use the oven light to check on your goodies.
- Drive Smart
Between the added
driving to stores to get gifts and do holiday shopping, shuttling family to and
from the airport and attending holiday parties the car will likely be getting
double its normal use. Several cold-start trips will use twice as much fuel as
a longer trip of the same distance while the engine is already warm. When
possible plan on combining multiple errands into one trip to be as efficient as
possible. If everyone needs some last-minute gifts from similar places, take
one car, split up to shop then rendezvous back for a carpool home. No spoilers
needed.
3. Change Up Your Heating
Not everyone has access to a nice ambient fireplace
but if you do, the holidays are the perfect time to fire it up, literally. With
guests coming and going as well as cooking for the holidays, your water usage
can easily spike. If you lower your water heater temperature by just 10
degrees, you can lower energy usage by 3 to 5 percent with no noticeable
negative effects. Lowering
the thermostat by just one degree can
also decrease your household energy usage by about 3 percent. There’s no need
to turn the house into a freezer, but when else are you going to be able to
wear your favorite holiday sweaters.
The holidays can
be expensive for so many other reasons. By using some or all of these tips, you
can really cut down on the bill at the end of the month. Just by being
conscious and proactive you can worry less and spend more energy
enjoying the time with family.
What ways do you save money during the holidays?
Are you looking to improve your health in 2020? Then I'd love to have you join me in my private Facebook group called Bridging the Gap. Or, if you're looking for a way to get 30 raw fruits and vegetables in your diet every day, contact me here.
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