Save Energy, Save Money

Source: Environment News Service

Now that the holidays are officially underway, we'd like to show you a few ways you can save energy and save money this season.

Decorating:

Consider using holiday lights with energy efficient light emitting diodes (LED's).

• They're shatter proof, shock resistant, safe to touch and present no fire hazard.
• LED's use 10% less energy than mini incandescent lights and can last up to 50,000 hours.
• They thrive outdoors because of their durability and performance in extreme temperatures.
• By using energy efficient LED light strands, you can save up to 80% on your decorative lighting energy costs.

Food Storage:

• Leaving the refrigerator door open while removing items is more efficient than opening and closing the door multiple times.
• Defrosting food in the refrigerator helps save energy because it helps keep the refrigerator cold.
  
• Save energy by allowing hot food to cool before placing it in the refrigerator or freezer.
  

Cooking:

• Using the smallest pan and burner for the job will help reduce energy costs.
• Microwave ovens use less than half the energy required by a conventional oven.
• Slow cookers and crock pots will cook a whole meal for less than 20 cents worth of energy.
• To improve efficiency, keep oven doors closed as much as possible and bake several dishes at one time. Every time the door is opened, the oven loses 25 - 50 degrees of heat.

Cleaning Up:

• Run the dishwasher with full loads for optimum efficiency.
• Use cold water to rinse dishes before loading the dishwasher to save money on your energy bill.
  
• The dishwasher uses almost 40% less water than a load of dishes washed by hand. However, filling the wash and rinse basins instead of letting the hot water run uses half as much water as a dishwasher.

For more tips about how you can save energy on the road and around your home & office, click here.