Try these energy efficiency tips this Thanksgiving to help you save on your energy bill.
Are you hosting friends and family for Thanksgiving this year? While a day filled with fun, food and football is always enjoyable, cooking all day and hosting houseguests can often lead to a higher energy bill. Keep these energy efficiency tips in mind this turkey day. Your wallet will thank you!
- Lower the thermostat in your home to 67 degrees. When you have the oven on and more people in your home, you can keep the temperature lower than typical while still remaining comfortable.
- Get everything you need out of the refrigerator at once then keep the fridge doors closed. The more you open it, the harder it has to work to maintain temperature.
- Use pots and pans that match the size of the burner they’re on. When you use a pot that is smaller than its burner, you’re wasting excess heat.
- Keep pots and pans covered to prevent heat from escaping while you cook.
- When possible, bake more than one dish at a time to cut down on the amount of time that the oven is working.
- Use the oven light to check on food instead of opening the door. You can lose up to 25 degrees of heat every time you open it which causes your oven to work harder to get back up to the temperature you set.
- Use smaller appliances, like a slow cooker or toaster oven, to prepare side dishes. Smaller appliances typically use less energy than larger appliances.
- Allow leftovers to cool down to room temperature before you refrigerate them. This will keep extra heat out of your refrigerator.
- Scrape dirty dishes instead of rinsing them before you load them into the dishwasher.
- Skip the heated drying cycle on the dishwasher and instead let your dishes air dry after they’re washed.
Visit energystar.gov for more energy efficiency tips.