Vectren's Holiday Energy Conservation Checklist
By: Michael C. Fehn
Updated: November 20, 2012
Thanksgiving is just a couple of days away, and already, some Tri-State homes are getting decked out for the holiday season. That includes lots of lights.
And vectren is reminding customers of some ways to cut those energy costs this year, not just with your decorations, but around the house as well. Some of those tips include:
Don't overload your electrical circuits. Never run appliance cords or extension cords under carpet. They are designed to be kept cool
by movement of room air around the cord. Connect lights to power strips that have several outlets and built-in circuit breakers. Make sure lights and extensions cords used for outdoor decoration are approved for outdoor use.
Turn the thermostat down when you have guests. Extra bodies in the house mean extra warmth at
no cost to you. Use fiber optic decorations. Fiber optic trees and decorations are the ultimate in energy efficiency.
In most cases, they use a single light bulb located in the base of the unit to light the entire decoration. When cooking for the holidays, don't forget to use your microwave oven. Fast and efficient microwave
ovens use around 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens. Don't
open the oven door to take a peek at what's cooking inside. Instead,
turn on the oven
light and check the cooking status through the oven window. Opening the
oven door lowers the temperature inside - by as much as 25 degrees -
which increases cooking time and wastes energy.
For more energy conservation tips from Vectren, be sure to visit our links page.
And vectren is reminding customers of some ways to cut those energy costs this year, not just with your decorations, but around the house as well. Some of those tips include:
- Use a timer for your holiday lights. This allows for lights to be illuminated only when necessary.
For more energy conservation tips from Vectren, be sure to visit our links page.
