Holidays bring together family, friends and loved ones. Hosting during the holidays can take a toll on your energy efficiency. But there are a few ways to improve your efficiency without compromising comfort. Here are our top three tips for keeping your home in Montgomery, Alabama, comfortable and efficient while hosting holiday celebrations:
Lower the Thermostat
Montgomery winters can get chilly, and you want your guests to feel comfortable. However, if you have a group of people in your home, you don’t need to turn up the thermostat to make sure they’re comfortable. Body heat does a great job at warming homes, especially when combined with the heat of the kitchen while cooking holiday meals. Keep an eye on the temperature throughout the evening and adjust accordingly. To save energy and money, you should be able to keep the heat lower than normal thanks to the additional heat sources.
Use Timers
Holiday decorations can be heavy on electricity draw, especially if they feature strands of lights. While LED lights can make a big difference in keeping that energy draw low, one of the best ways to ensure you’re not wasting unnecessary amounts of energy on decorations is to use timers for your decorations. These will automatically shut off electricity after a given time, reducing the chance of phantom power draws.
Cook Efficiently
Holidays usually include large meals, which means lots of time in the kitchen. There are a number of ways to cook more efficiently to help reduce taxing your utilities. Avoid opening the oven frequently to check on dishes, and try not to waste water by needlessly leaving your sink on. If you have ENERGY STAR appliances, you’re already running your kitchen at excellent efficiency levels, but every little bit helps.
Nervous about hosting the holidays? The experts at Air Conditioning by Luquire can help ensure your HVAC and plumbing systems are up to the task. Give us a call at 334-230-5870 to set up a consultation today!
Image provided by Shutterstock
