The holiday season is known as a time for celebration and joyous consumption. We tend to consume lovely meals and enjoy tasty beverages. We buy, give, and receive gifts of different types. In addition, the holidays also represent a season in which energy use spikes upwards. But we don’t have to consume so much electricity during the holiday season. In fact, there are six tips to save energy during the holiday season.
You can cut back on energy use during the holidays by reconsidering the way you deck the halls. You can use festive garlands, tinsel, and reflective ornaments rather than traditional holiday lights to decorate your home. If you aren’t willing to part with festive twinkle lights, consider light emitting diode (LED) alternatives. With LED holiday lights, you can enjoy electricity savings on these types of decorations of up to 90%.
There are other attractive, interesting decorating alternatives available that require the consumption of less energy than more traditional alternatives. These include fiber optic alternatives that use one bulb to light up the entire decoration. The design and function of fiber optic decorations can result in a notable energy savings throughout the holiday season.
When it comes to tips to save energy during the holiday season, you definitely want to bring your home’s heating practices into the mix. Certainly, you want to make sure your home is comfortable as you celebrate the season. However, there are some ways you can save money on electricity when it comes to heating your home during the holidays.
When you’re away from home during the holiday season, set your thermostat between 50 and60 degrees. If you have pets that will be staying behind, you want to make certain that you keep the temperature at a level that is comfortable for them. By keeping your home’s temperature at this level when you are away, you not only save money on electricity, you ensure that pipes won’t freeze or break in the event of a sudden cold snap.
In many homes, the holiday seasons means great food and drink shared among family and friends. When the enjoyable celebratory meals come to an end, you’re faced with the task of all of the clean-up. In most cases, this means running the dishwasher, a task that can save you energy during the holiday season.
If you have a dishwasher that comes complete with an air-dry setting, use it. Don’t set your machine to the heated-dry option. If you don’t have a dishwasher with an air-dry setting, you can save money by opening the door after the wash cycle and let your dishes airdry.
If you’re like many people, odds are that electrical gifts very well may be in the mix during the holiday season. You can save on the cost and use of electricity when it comes to purchasing these types of gifts for people in your family, friends, colleagues, and others. When shopping for electronics of different types, select an option with an Energy Star label. The Energy Star label indicates an electrical item that consumes less electricity than alternatives on the market.
You can also make saving electricity a focus of your gift-giving efforts. For example, if you have people on your list who are already interested in saving money on electricity and leaving a smaller carbon footprint, there are some amazing designer lightbulbs available today. These lightbulbs are not only stylish but can save upwards of80% on energy use.
Another suggestion on the list of energy saving tips is to limit the length of time lights of all types are on. When it comes to seasonal decorative lighting, wait until dark before turning them on. Turn them off when you get ready to go to bed.
You might want to consider a daily goal of leaving your holiday lights on for no more than six hours. If you find that you forget to turn off your seasonal lighting, put them on a timer and it will do the work for you.
You should also consider turning off your room lights in areas in your home in which holiday lights are in place and in use. You can shut off the room lights in the area in which you display your lighted holiday tree and find that you still have plenty of illumination.
When considering tips to save electricity during the holiday season, use seasonal candles as part of your decorating endeavors. You can set up luminaries along walkways in front of your home, particularly when you are welcoming guests for a seasonal dinner or holiday party. You can add candles throughout your home for a bright seasonal touch. Of course, you need to be sure to extinguish candles when you’re away or heading off to bed. You also need to be certain to keep candles out of the reach of children and pets.
By taking advantage of these electricity saving tips, you will enjoy a festive holiday season. You will also save money and electricity in the process.
