Is your home ready for the holidays? While you enjoy the season, your home and heating appliances work extra hard to keep up with increased demand. Home heating accounts for roughly half of your monthly bill, and increased use of gas appliances and electronics can add significant cost.
The following factors could contribute to a spike in energy usage on your next bill:
- Holiday lights
- Kids being home from school
- Hosting more people in your home
- Extra cooking in the kitchen
- Extra use of electronics and device charging
- Colder than normal weather
Easy ways to save this season
Lower the thermostat: When you’re hosting, you’re often opening the door frequently, or opening a kitchen window when you’re working up a sweat in the kitchen. Turn down your thermostat a few degrees so your home doesn’t have to work as hard during this time.
Avoid extra heating appliances: If your guests are spending time in your basement or garage this season, avoid using space heaters or gas fireplaces for heating. These items use a lot of extra energy, and can really add up on your bill.
Energy efficient holiday lighting: Put your outdoor and indoor holiday lights on timers to make sure they don’t run any longer than you want them to. If you’re still using incandescent lights from years ago, consider upgrading to LED alternatives that use less electricity.
Don’t just use the oven: Consider using slow cookers or air fryers to keep your oven from running all day.
Don’t overload your fridge: If your fridge is packed, it will work harder to maintain its temperature. Leading up to the holidays, consider a fridge cleanout to free some extra space. When you’re putting away leftovers, make sure food is completely cooled before putting it in the fridge.
Use DTE’s free Bill Analyzer Tool to evaluate your energy usage, spot lifestyle or weather trends impacting your bill so you can make the right decisions for your household.