The Holidays are, traditionally, a time for cooking and sharing delicious meals with family and friends. After reading that last sentence, you might have pictured a meter with the dial indicator slowly creeping to a huge number in the red-coloured area. But have no fear as the latest models of kitchen appliances use fifty percent less electricity compared to those built ten years ago.<\/p>\n
Keep in mind, though, that even with the latest kitchen appliances at home, your energy bills can still rise considerably during the Holidays. You may need to cook lots of dishes for many visitors, you may need to use the dishwasher for a longer time than usual and for more dirty dishes, and family members may keep opening the refrigerator door looking for treats. Thus, it is a must to follow these tips to save energy in the kitchen:<\/p>\n
Oven <\/strong><\/p>\n For those who use electric ovens, avoid opening the door of the oven to check out what is cooking inside it. Instead, switch the oven light on and find out if the food there is cooked through the window. Opening the door of the oven makes the temperature inside lower, hence increasing cooking time and wasting energy.<\/p>\n As long as the oven is on, cook as many items as possible at the same time. When doing this, just make sure to leave some room for heat to circulate around every plate and casserole.<\/p>\n Refrigerator<\/strong><\/p>\n Along with the stove, your freezer and refrigerator also get used a lot during Christmas, as treats are often stored here. One way of using these appliances economically is to keep doors closed when no food will be stored or taken. Another is to limit the use of a higher power setting to stuffing these appliances with a lot of food and drinks.<\/p>\n Although stuffing the freezer and fridge with lots of food and beverages is a good way to use these appliances economically, make sure to avoid cramming them full. Doing so prevents the cold air from circulating properly.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Dishwashers<\/strong><\/p>\n A simple way of saving electricity during the Holidays is by washing the dishes by hand instead of using the dishwasher. However, if there are so many dishes that need to be washed, then you can use the dishwasher for some plates or glasses and hand-wash the rest. Remember to only use the dishwasher to wash full loads, and if you need to rinse dishes before you load them, just use cold water to avoid using a lot of energy to heat water.<\/p>\n When possible, use energy-saving cycles. Dishwashers which have overnight dry or air power features can save you approximately ten percent of your total expenses for electricity.<\/p>\n Making Christmas Lights Festive and Frugal at the Same Time<\/strong><\/p>\n Many Christmas lights use 5 \u2013 7 watts \/ bulb, while others use ten watts per bulb. In the long run, this can cost you a lot of money, so look for Christmas lights with LED bulbs\u00a0<\/span><\/span>or<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>even lasers.<\/a><\/span><\/span>\u00a0These use less energy and last longer than traditional bulbs.<\/p>\n You can also consider the use of automatic timers outside and inside the home. This removes the burden of switching the lights on\/off manually as well as unplugging them if no longer needed. Just make sure to use a timer that can handle your lights.<\/p>\n Lastly, ensure that every set of electronic Christmas decorations purchased has a safety seal. This assures you that they will not blow up and burn your wreaths, trees, or houses. Also, since electronic decorations without safety seals can use high amounts of electricity in the long run for some reason, you also avoid paying a high electric bill by choosing one certified safe for use.<\/p>\n After having set up your Christmas lights, Christmas miniatures, and other electronic Christmas decorations, and before using the different cooking and food storage appliances you have at home, have the safety of your property assessed by an electrician right away.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mmil.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/112414_1141_EffectiveWa2.png\")
<\/p>\n