Don't Gobble Up Energy This Thanksgiving

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At Thanksgiving we look forward to a delicious meal shared with loved ones. What we don’t look forward to are high energy bills. Follow these 10 tips from the Edison Electric Institute to keep your energy bill looking as good as Thanksgiving dinner.

1. If you expect a large group of people for dinner, lower the thermostat a degree or two before the guests arrive. Otherwise, since people generate heat, the space may become wastefully overheated.
2. Check your refrigerator and freezer doors to make sure they seal tightly. To test the seal, close the refrigerator door on a dollar bill. If you can slip the bill out easily, or worse, it falls out on its own, the door needs to be adjusted or the gasket needs to be replaced.
3. Allow hot foods and liquids to cool off before placing them in the fridge. A short cooling-off period should not affect the taste of the food or allow bacterial growth and will reduce the load on the refrigerator.
4. Plan ahead and collect all the ingredients for Thanksgiving dishes at one time. Each time your fridge or freezer door is opened, its compressor has to run a bit longer to replace the cold air that spills out.
5. Use a “lids-on” approach to cooking. Tightly fitted lids on pots and pans help keep heat in, enabling you to lower the temperature settings and shorten cooking times.
6. When boiling liquids, start by using the highest temperature settings to reach the boiling point. Then lower the heat control setting and allow the food to simmer until fully cooked.
7. Use a microwave instead of your oven whenever possible. Microwave ovens draw less than half the power of a conventional oven, and they require much shorter cooking periods.
8. When preheating your oven for baking, time the preheat period carefully. Five to eight minutes should be enough time. There is no need to preheat for broiling or roasting.
9. When roasting or baking, avoid making frequent progress checks that involve opening your oven door. Each time the door is opened, a considerable portion of the oven’s heat escapes.
10. When using an electric oven, cook as much of your meal as possible at one time. Foods with different cooking temperatures often can be cooked simultaneously at one temperature; variations of 25 degrees in either direction still produce good results and save energy.