Between the cold weather settling in here in Plaquemine, Louisiana, and hosting family for the holidays, you might be worrying about your energy bills skyrocketing. Take a breath and rest easy knowing these three tactics will save you money on your energy bills this holiday season.

Be Smart With Lighting

Holiday lights make your home sparkle, but you can be conservative about how you use them. First, plug your light-up decor into power strips. Afterward, you can just flip the switch to turn off all the lights when you aren’t using them. Even when lights and electronics aren’t on, they can still draw energy and cost you money.

You can also replace your traditional holiday lights with LEDs. According to the Department of Energy, LED bulbs consume 70% less energy than traditional bulbs.

Use Appliances Wisely

You’re going to be using your oven a lot, so plan ahead for how you’ll use it. Be sure when checking the progress of any baking food that you use the oven light instead of opening the door. If you keep that door open for just 30 seconds, you could lose up to 150 degrees of heat. Also, if you space out your oven’s racks efficiently, it can bake multiple dishes at once.

Plus, you should use smaller appliances to reheat any food. Using a microwave instead of an oven can use up to 80% less energy.

Keep Your Home Warm the Right Way

Make sure your home has a programmable thermostat. You can set your thermostat for a lower temperature when more people are in your house warming it up with their body heat, or during the cold part of the night. By lowering your thermostat by 8-12 degrees for eight hours, you can save 5% to 15% on your heating bills.

The holidays can feel stressful, but your heating system shouldn’t be a cause for worry. If you need maintenance or repairs on your heating system, call One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® of Baton Rouge at (225) 320-4162. We’ll gladly restore your heating system to its glory days.