Using less energy in the kitchen on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season and a great time tradition of reuniting with family and friends to feast and give thanks. Here are some energy saving tips that can help lower the unwelcome tradition of higher energy bills following your Thanksgiving celebration:

Keep the oven door closed
While you may want to check on the progress of a dish you’ve got cooking in your oven, use the light instead. Every time the oven door is opened, the temperature inside is reduced by as much as 25 degrees, delaying the progress of your dish.

After the feast
An ENERGY STAR-certified dishwasher uses less than half as much energy as washing dishes by hand and uses less water. Also, let the leftovers cool before placing them in the fridge because your refrigerator has to work harder to cool them down.

Lighting options
Get in the habit of turning off every light except in occupied rooms. Make the switch to more energy-efficient lighting options such as LEDs, which last 25 times longer on average compared to incandescent lighting.

Household temperature
Turn your thermostat down 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours overnight or during the day when no one is home to save around 10 percent per year on your heating and
cooling bills.

Source: energy.gov