The holiday season is upon us. Temperatures are going down and holiday decorations and lights are going up. But the extra twinkling doesn’t mean your energy spend has to go up, too! We have some tips to help you control your energy spend and save money this season.
Use efficient lights – Light emitting diode (LED) holiday lights are stronger, brighter and use much less energy than traditional lights. In fact, according to ENERGY STAR®, LEDs produce light approximately 90% more efficiently than regular incandescent lightbulbs. Not only could this save money on your energy bill during the holiday months, but you also likely won’t need to replace your holiday lights as often because they’ll last longer.
Put plug-in decorations and lights on a timer – Holiday lights and decorations look great, but they don’t need to be on and consuming energy when no one is around to see them. Using a timer that automatically turns off lights or decorations is an easy way to make sure these energy consumers are turned off every night after everyone goes to bed and during the day when it’s too light outside to see them. These timers can be used for indoor decorations, as well.
Cook efficiently – The holidays often bring about an increase in cooking.When using the oven, don’t open the door to check your food’s progress unless it’s necessary. Opening the door can lower the temperature inside by 25 degrees each time, making your oven work harder and burn more energy.
It isn’t necessary to preheat the oven for recipes that need to bake for longer than an hour. Likewise, electric ovens can typically be turned off 5-10 minutes prior to being finished if you keep the door closed and allow the residual heat to finish the job.
Utilizing small kitchen appliances, such as a toaster, microwave, warming plate and crockpot, instead of your oven or range top can provide significant energy savings. The average toaster can use less than half the amount of energy as a stove in the same amount of cooking time.
Use your thermostat wisely – If you’re hosting a holiday party or have a house full of people and are going to be using your stove for a significant amount of cooking, consider turning your thermostat down. The heat from the people and the stove will keep the temperature comfortable.
Utilizing a programmable thermostat is an efficient way to help you control your energy spend through the holidays and all year long. These Wi-Fi enabled devices can be controlled from your phone and typically learn your temperature preferences to establish a schedule which automatically adjusts to energy-saving temperatures when you are asleep or away.
If you’re interested in finding out more about energy efficient products, AEP Energy is proud to offer AEP Energy Reward Store, our one-stop online marketplace filled with a variety of energy-saving and connected-home products for your home available exclusively for our valued customers. It is a simple and convenient way for you to shop for items to make your home more energy efficient while saving you time and money. You can earn Reward Dollars to use in Reward Store by enrolling on an AEP Energy price plan.
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