Lighting the way for energy efficiency

Let's talk about those holiday lights. After you congratulate yourself for untangling the cords, it's time to set up your beautiful display for all the neighbors to see.

As you connect all your string lights, pay attention to how many you connect to one outlet. Stringing too many lights to the same power source may overload your circuit. Try to spread the power usage across multiple outlets, especially if you live in an older home.

One way to save energy during the holidays is to set your lights on a timer. You can find a variety of outlet timers at any hardware or big box store, so finding one that will fit your lighting design should be pretty straightforward. Utilizing a timer ensures that your lights will power themselves on and off without the hassle of remembering to unplug them each night. This way, you can save energy and give your lights a longer shelf life.

What's on the inside matters, too

Setting up the indoor décor is an actual work of art, so let's ensure your light-up snowman stays lit when your guests arrive. When planning your indoor holiday design, it's important to take the extra step to map out where all your plug-in decorations are pulling power from. Like the outdoor lights, sharing is caring when spreading energy usage.

Typically, each room in your home has its circuit. So, when you're looking for plugs to light up the Christmas tree, mentally check what else is already connected in that room. The best practice tip is to avoid plugging in additional items in rooms with appliances that use a lot of power, like the oven or dryer.

Along with these considerations, one of the best ways of saving energy during the holidays is to replace old lighting setups with energy-efficient lighting options. LED lights consume significantly less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and emit less heat, so you can keep that fire roaring much longer throughout the season! With countless options for colors and styles, you can maintain and even level up your holiday décor masterpiece. 

Home is where the food is

There isn't a better feeling than sitting at a table surrounded by loved ones ready to share a holiday meal. Hours before that moment, the kitchen (and you) were working overtime. The kitchen, in particular, used a considerable amount of energy between the oven, range and crockpot.

One of the best ways to conserve energy and get dinner on the table on time is to create a cooking schedule. Creating a plan for which dishes need to go in the oven and on the range will help you plan when everything is ready for the meal. It will also make monitoring the power usage of your big kitchen appliances easier. This will not only help you save energy during the holidays but also help you stay organized year-round.

So, as you enter this holiday season, pull out your cozy socks, make a cup of hot chocolate, and sit in awe of your décor, knowing you set it up with these holiday energy savings tips in mind.