The holidays are expensive enough without wasting money on things you can easily control — like energy costs.
A new survey from Empower found that Americans plan to spend an average of $1,400 this holiday season on gifts and other items. More than four in 10 (42%) will regift to save money.
But how many will take steps to reduce energy costs that could swell by $100 or more over the holidays?
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Holiday energy costs are impacted by numerous factors, ranging from the number of lights you use to how many guests you host or entertain.
If you fill your home and yard with a massive display of yard lights that stay on for weeks at a time, expect your power bill to surge. Same thing if you have four or five family members who plan to visit for a few nights.
Even if you plan a modest holiday season, there are still ways to keep your energy costs in line. Here are six tips to help you better manage them.
Heat Efficiently
Unless you live where the weather is warm year-round, you probably get hit with frigid temps around the holidays.
This is the time of year when heating bills begin to spike, but there are ways to moderate your heat use and lower your bills. A blog on The Spruce website offers these suggestions:
- Program your thermostat to slightly lower temperatures overnight or when the house is empty, and then set the temperature higher when the family is home and you entertain holiday guests.
- Close the doors to unused rooms so that warm air is directed to where it’s needed the most. You should also close heating vents in unused rooms.
- Lower the thermostat when you are cooking, and let the appliances warm the kitchen and surrounding areas.
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Cook Efficiently
If you’re tempted to open the oven to check the turkey or ham — don’t. Opening the oven door when you don’t really need to wastes energy, according to a blog from West Monroe.
Instead, turn on the oven light and peek through the window. When everything is baking or simmering and you leave the kitchen, turn off the room lights.
Use Lighting Timers
Holiday lights add to a festive atmosphere but they can also crank your power use up in a hurry. One way to reduce the cost is to add a lighting timer that turns the lights off when you’re not at home or when they are not needed.
Let Tree Lights Be the Main Light Source
Those pretty lights you draped on your Christmas or Hanukkah tree can double as the main light source in your family room. There’s usually enough light to let you see what you need to see — plus it puts you in a holiday mood.
You also cut energy costs by turning off other light sources.
Install a Smart Thermostat
You can expect to spend around $70 to $120 for many smart thermometers, but the investment is worth it during the cooler holiday months. These devices automatically adjust temperature settings in your home.
They are simple to operate, and most set a schedule that automatically adjusts to energy-saving temperatures when you’re sleeping or away from home.
Use Power Strips
As The Spruce noted, if you have to plug and unplug a lot of individual holiday lights and decorations, you might decide it’s not worth the bother. This ends up wasting power and money.
The solution is to use power strips that can power several items at once, which means you can easily turn them on and off at the same time.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Tips to Manage Holiday Energy Costs
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