This holiday season is a fantastic opportunity to spend time with your loved ones. However, New year’s celebrations bring along the increase in energy consumption, and folks, that’s the reason why we’re here today. If one of your new year’s resolutions was to lower your energy consumption and spend less on energy bills, make sure you follow these holiday energy-saving tips to ensure some vacations without sudden spikes in your electricity bill.
3 Steps to Combine Tradition, Savings, and Sustainability
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If we maintain a responsible and clever attitude in our energy consumption, we can enjoy this season at its fullest without electrical excesses taking their toll. It is not just about saving; it’s also about being sustainable with the planet and practicing energy conservation. Here are 3 easy steps to achieve it:
- The first step to achieving this is to know your consumption habits.
- The second, detect if specific things make you spend more energy than necessary.
- And third, take action with concrete measures such as our following holiday energy-saving tips.
Here’s the list of our holiday energy-saving tips:
So let’s get to the core of our article. The arrival of the cold and the holidays make us spend more time at home, especially this year when we must be highly responsible for the pandemic as the Omicron is widely spreading worldwide.
If like us, you’ve spent more than enough this past Christmas season buying gifts for the kids, putting up all the decorations, and agreeing to host this Christmas dinner and New Year’s party; and ultimately, you don’t want to spend any more money than what’s absolutely necessary at this time of year we’ve got your back. We’re here to give you 6 essential holiday energy-saving tips to avoid extra expenses and maximize our energy efficiency.
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1. LED Lights
One of our go-to holiday energy-saving tips is to install LED lights. You don’t have to be boring and not have any holiday decorations to save money. Don’t ditch those decorations of your Christmas tree, balconies, and cribs; just try to find efficient LED alternatives that use as little energy as possible. These bulbs tend to be a bit more expensive than traditional bulbs, we know it, but their quality-price ratio indicates they’re much more efficient than conventional bulbs.
Just think about it this way, Residential LEDs — especially ENERGY STAR rated products — use at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent or traditional lighting, as stated by the EPA. This means you will have light for years to come and will save tons throughout those years! And of course, these holiday times are not the exception; as we recommend on these holiday energy-saving tips, you can always combine Christmas lights and candles with LED lights. This adds a magical touch to every celebration.
A little cherry on the cake: According to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, a building may qualify for a Federal tax deduction of as much as $0.60 per square foot for lighting upgrades to LED technology. It’s a win-win situation for you and for the environment.
2. During the holidays, use fewer regular lights
While we’re talking about lights on our holiday energy-saving tips, don’t forget to switch off your standard lights if your holiday lights are sufficient. Alternatively, you might invest in smart bulbs, which allow you to control the intensity and color of your lights while consuming less energy.
Even when you just want to wrap up under a blanket with a glass of wine, you can turn some small lights and make the place feel cozier. You’re also being environmentally helpful by using less electricity during the holidays, so consider it your Christmas present to the globe.
Source: Photo by Jason Mitrione on Unsplash
3. Energy vampires: If it’s not in use, turn it off or unplug it
We probably stated this plenty of times before, and, as tedious as it may seem, if this becomes a habit, it will mean significant savings on your electricity bill. As one of our holiday energy-saving tips, remember to turn off your tree lights and Christmas decorations at night. And not only that, stop wasting energy on small things that are plugged all the time and not in use, such as the microwave, oven, radio, and all of those appliances which have a clock on them.
4. Use a smart thermostat
Smart thermostats have been long time preached for a reason; by enabling you to regulate your heating schedule, a new thermostat can help you save money on your energy expenses. A smart thermostat gives you control over your home’s energy by allowing you to operate your HVAC system straight from your smartphone.
5. Know your energy rate and pay close attention to your usage
Another of our crucial holiday energy-saving tips is understanding your current energy rate and acting accordingly. For example, if you’re on a variable rate, knowing your utility’s peak hours will help you avoid turning on lights during certain times, thus avoiding increased demand when you have higher rates. We tend to spend more on energy bills from cooking, cleaning, heating, and, of course, lights during the holidays. That’s why, during the Christmas season, utilizing electricity and natural gas more strategically may save you a lot of money on energy bills.
6. Just get a fixed-rate energy plan and forget about those annoying rate fluctuations
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Here is the last of our holiday energy-saving tips, and that is if, by contrast to a variable energy rate, you’re on a fixed energy rate, you can rest at ease knowing that regardless of the time of use, your rate will remain the same. At PowerChoiceNow, you can find a great tool to compare your current electricity rate and supplier to others in the market and make sure you’re getting the best energy costs for your home all year round.
That’s all there is to it. From our Power Choice Now family to yours, a stocking full of holiday energy-saving tips.
