With all of the last-minute holiday craziness — hosting parties, baking cookies, fixing a great family dinner — it is easy to run up the energy bill. After purchasing presents and giving gifts, the last thing you want to deal with is outrageous electricity fees come January. So, avoid a high bill this holiday season with these simple tips for conserving energy in your Santa Cruz home.
• Go LED. This year you should invest in LED lights for the outside of your Santa Cruz home. They are shatterproof, present no fire hazard, and are safe to touch. Also, purchase an automatic timer, so that you do not accidently leave lights on all night, which definitely adds up if it happens repeatedly.
• Lower the thermostat. Your house will stay very warm when it is full of people and there is a lot of baking action in the kitchen with the oven on. Knock down the set temperature a few degrees and put those savings toward your holiday credit card bill.
• Dim the interior lights. By installing a dimmer, you will not only create mood lighting for parties and festive dinners, but you will also be lengthening the lifespan of your bulbs.
• Plan your meal. If you can manage to arrange your holiday dinners so that everything cooks at the same time, then you will save yourself time in the kitchen and reduce your energy usage by running your oven less.
• Use your dishwasher. Be sure to use your dishwasher instead of hand washing dinner dishes and pots. It will conserve more water than rinsing and washing every dirty utensil. Just be sure not to use the heat setting; you can open the door and let them air dry.
Do not let this month of excess get the best of you. Utilize these simple precautions for energy savings and come January you will be reminiscing the good memories — instead of turning into a Scrooge and cursing the bills.Â
If you would like additional suggestions for how to save energy in your Santa Cruz home this holiday season, please call me at 831.662.6522 or email me at Lauren@LaurenSpencer.com for more information.
For additional real estate information, please visit my website at www.MySantaCruzRealEstate.com.
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