Cornucopia of (Energy) Consumption
- Cooking and energy conservation—Reduce energy use by cooking several dishes that require the same oven temperature all together. Use appropriately sized pots on stove burners to save energy or use gas efficiently. Be sure to turn off ovens and appliances when not in use to prevent wasting energy. If you’re frying a turkey, have a fire safety plan in place and be sure to properly dispose of oils.
- Light timers and thermostat settings—Turning off lights when you leave a room saves energy and money. Timers and photocells that turn lights off automatically are great for both indoor lights and outdoor decorative lighting. You can also cut your cooling and heating costs by using a programmable thermostat, or simply adjusting the thermostat during overnight hours or when no one is home.
- Guests and their energy use—Guests have their own habits that might be different than your own. So if you recycle, turn off lights at night, or like to conserve water, let your guests know so they can adapt in your home. Point out your compost or recycle bins. To conserve heat and cooling energy, encourage overnight guests to use ceiling fans or have extra blankets for them. You might even inspire them to make eco-friendly changes of their own!
