Holiday Energy Conservation Tips
- Many individuals increase their car use during the holiday season. Traveling short distances to dinner parties or other related holiday celebrations contributes to higher gasoline usage and vehicle wear and tear. Long-distance travel to visit relatives in a different state just adds to the expense. For out-of-state travel consider other transportation methods besides a car. Research the total costs associated with flying, taking a bus or train and compare them against the estimated costs of gasoline and overnight hotel stays. When you use a vehicle for holiday travel, practice routine gasoline conservation tips by keeping the tires properly inflated, slowing down to an average speed of 55 miles per hour, avoiding abrupt starts to the engine and driving at a steady pace.
- For dishes that require longer cooking times, don't waste energy by preheating the oven. Try to maximize the amount of space in an oven by cooking related dishes at the same time. For example, cook a side dish of stuffing while the turkey is still roasting if space allows. Try not to open the oven's door while holiday dishes are cooking. Use the oven's light feature to inspect the food visually. If you cook on an oven's stove top, try to match the size of the pan to the burner. This prevents energy from escaping and will provide more heat to the pan, which will result in less cooking time.
- Wash full loads of dishes in the dishwasher and consider using the energy-saving cycle if available. Use the air dry feature as much as possible. Consider hand washing the dishes with lukewarm water. Fill the sinks with standing water instead of letting the water run from the faucet. Try not to open the door to the refrigerator excessively and remove all the food that's needed at once. Keep refrigerators and freezers full in order to increase energy efficiency. For electronic gifts, make sure to unplug the battery chargers once the device indicates it is fully charged.
- Turn off outdoor and indoor lighting when you're asleep or away from the home. Consider installing light timers so that usage is regulated. Use miniature light sets instead of larger bulbs. Miniature lights help reduce energy usage by up to 70 percent. If larger bulbs are preferred, a lower wattage might be considered to reduce energy costs.
