Simple Ways to Save Energy This Christmas
As enjoyable as Christmas is, it can get to be quite an expensive holiday. However, there are several ways to reduce your spending during the Christmas season, one of which is to reduce your energy bills. Not only can cutting down on your energy use help keep your energy bills down, but you’ll also be doing your part to help the environment. The following are eight ways that you can save energy this Christmas.
1. Upgrade your Christmas lights to LED lights
Plugging in all of those Christmas lights, whether on your tree, wrapped around your staircase or draped over your roof, will require a lot of energy. However, by upgrading to LED Christmas lights, you can save a substantial amount of energy. LED lights use roughly 70 percent less energy than traditional bulbs; they’ll last much longer, produce less heat, and are generally safer.
2. Don’t leave your Christmas lights on all day and night
If you have a lot of decorations up outside of your house, such as Christmas lights wrapped around the porch, then you should be sure to turn them off during the day. There’s no reason to have them on; after all, you can barely see them. You may only want to have them on for a few hours when it’s dark. Turn them off before you go to bed when few people see them anywhere. As far as your indoor Christmas lights go, ensure you unplug them all right before you go to bed.
Suppose you decide to hire a Christmas outdoor lighting company to install your exterior lighting display, a company such as A Brilliant Solutions Holiday Lighting. In that case, they will ensure they use LED lights that are set on a timer.
3. Use candles
The use of candles can help create a warm and inviting atmosphere throughout the home. Additionally, if you’re burning candles, you won’t need to turn the lights on to get around, saving a bit of energy. Go a step further by buying vegetable and soy wax candles, which are clean-burning and therefore more environmentally friendly.
Just remember to blow them out when leaving the house or going to bed.
4. Don’t use the lights in the room with your Christmas tree
The lights on your Christmas tree produce enough light as it is. So unless you’re planning on reading, there’s no need to turn the room’s lights on. Doing so will only produce an excessive amount of light that can waste energy. Enjoy the dimply lit or brightness of the Christmas lights without adding more light.
5. Turn your thermostat down during social gatherings
Don’t turn the thermostat up if you have friends and family over for dinner or drinks. You may be worried about their comfort, but you’ll be able to turn the thermostat down. This is because the more people in your home, the more body heat there will be. You won’t notice the difference if you drop the temperature by a few degrees, which can reduce energy usage.
6. Bake more than one dish at a time
Suppose you’re planning to cook a big Christmas dinner; time it so that you can simultaneously bake several of your dishes in the oven. This will reduce the amount of time your range has to be on, reducing the energy your kitchen uses.
7. Keep the lids on your pots
Another tip for cooking Christmas dinner is to keep all the lids on your pots while heating things on the stove. If you leave the tops off, heat will escape, so your food will take longer to cook.
8. Unplug electronics before going on vacation
If you’re planning on leaving home for Christmas vacation, go through your house and unplug your electronics, from your coffee maker and hairdryer to your TV and computer. Even if these electronics are not on, they will still absorb power while they remain plugged in. So if you’re not using them for days, you might as well unplug them to help save energy.
These are eight simple ways that you can save energy this Christmas. Using these tips to help reduce your energy use, you can cut down on your energy bills, thereby helping you save some money during a time of the year when it’s easy to exceed your budget.
Are You Ready To Implement These Ways to Save Energy This Christmas?
If so, great! And we can help you with your exterior Christmas lighting display. Contact A Brilliant Solution Holiday Lighting to learn more about our services.