Tips to Prevent a Thanksgiving Energy Bill Spike

Here are some energy saving tips which can help lower the unwelcome tradition of higher energy bills following Thanksgiving celebration.

(By Eric Escudero at U.S. Department of Energy’s Golden Field Office)

1.Turkey tips

Don’t buy a turkey bigger than you need for your group. A smaller turkey takes less time to cook and saves energy. It’s also not necessary to preheat the oven when slow roasting a turkey for several hours. It takes longer to cook the turkey when it is stuffed with dressing, so cooking the dressing separate can actually reduce oven usage. Lastly, adding side dishes that can be cooked at the same temperature while the turkey is cooking can also reduce oven use. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time to accommodate different temperatures. You can also often turn down the temperature on your thermostat a few degrees while the turkey is cooking because the oven will add heat to your home, especially in the kitchen area.

2. After the feast

Don’t wash dishes by hand because an ENERGY STAR-certified dishwasher uses less than half as much energy as washing dishes by hand and uses less water. Let the leftovers cool before placing them in the fridge because your refrigerator has to work harder to cool them down.

3. Lighting options

Get in the habit of turning off every light except in occupied rooms. In most cases, lighting can be turned off in outdoor areas or the garage. Make the switch to more energy-efficient lighting options such LEDs, which use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer on average compared to incandescent lighting.

4. Household temperature tips

If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue and keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Add caulk or weather stripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors or windows. Turn your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours overnight or during the day when no one is home to save around 10% per year on your heating and cooling bills.