Is your home ready for the holidays? While you enjoy roasts, eggnog, latkes, matzah, casseroles, homemade cookies, pies and more, your home and heating appliances are working extra hard to deal with the increased energy usage. Essentially, more people coming in and out of your home, extra cooking and more digital devices to charge, all impact your energy usage – and your wallet.
Avoid a surprise on your monthly bill by understanding what can drive up your energy.
Weather
A big influence on the amount of energy you use to heat your home is the weather outside. When temperatures fall, your furnace has to run more often and for longer, increasing the amount of energy you use.
Increased usage
The main reason your bill may increase is, of course, simply because of using more energy. Think about: did you raise your thermostat setting? Were you home more often? These are just a few of the potential reasons you may have used more energy, and increased usage will increase your bill.
Longer bill cycles
Your bill covers a month’s worth of energy usage, but because of several factors, the exact number of days on your bill can vary from month to month. As a result, you may sometimes receive a bill that covers as many as 35 days of service, making your total larger even if your usage patterns didn’t change.
Changes at home
Hosting people over the holidays, children being home from school and visiting relatives staying at your home all means you’ll be using more energy. Not only that, but since it’s colder and dark outside earlier in the day, we spend much more time indoors watching TV or using digital devices which increases your usage.
Give your home a break with these easy, energy efficiency tips to save on costs.
Turn down the thermostat
While hosting guests, turn down the heat since holiday cooking and having a few extra warm bodies naturally raises the temperature in your home.
Deck the halls with LED lights
LED holiday lights use up to 90% less electricity than regular ones, and you can purchase them for about $10 a strand. Friends and neighbors can enjoy the glimmering light display throughout the evening but don’t forget to turn them off before bedtime.
Maximize the oven
As tempting as it might be, once you start baking in the oven, keep the door closed! Opening the door causes your oven to use much more energy to get back up to the desired temperature, and keeping your door shut could save up to $20 annually.Let the sunshine in
Keep window drapes and shades open during the day (especially if they’re facing south!) to let the sun heat your home but remember to close them at night to reduce the chill and cut down on drafts from cold windows.
Dress appropriately
Instead of cranking up the thermostat while you’re on the couch watching football, add a blanket or two to stay warm. Your furnace and energy bill will thank you for wearing heavier clothing and adding blankets, instead of adjusting the thermostat.
Unplug electronics before leaving town
Going on a trip this holiday season? TVs, computers, printers, radios and many other electronics and appliances use energy even when they aren’t turned on. Take the time to unplug these devices or use a power strip to avoid phantom loads before going away for the holidays.
Utilize the stove
While most holiday dishes tend to be cooked in the oven, it’s a good idea to use your stovetop or microwave as well – they use less energy!
Let leftovers cool completely
After you eat your fill, store your leftovers in glass, airtight containers and let them cool off completely before placing them in your refrigerator. Putting them in the refrigerator when still hot will affect the resting temperature of the fridge, and it will have to work harder to reach the ideal cool temperature.
Use the dishwasher
Dinner was enjoyed, everyone is full, and your favorite holiday movie is on – but in the kitchen, dishes are piling up. Using dishwashers saves time and money because, with handwashing, we usually keep the hot water running way too long. According to Energy.gov, not only does it use less than half the energy, but the dishwasher also saves on water use.
For more ways to stay warm and save this holiday season visit dteenergy.com/staywarm