The holidays are upon us, and decking your home with lights and inflatable displays only add to the joy of the season. The last thing on your mind is the electric bill, and when you’ve created such a dazzling display, it’s easy to overlook the fact that you’re using up enough energy to power a small town!

Once the season is over, it’ll be time to pay the piper – or, in this case, the utility company. Take a few steps now to keep the electric bill Grinch from stealing all of your post-holiday joy (and cash). Follow these tips to reduce your energy bill this holiday season.

Save Energy on Holiday Lights

1. Monitor your light display. Leaving your holiday lights on all day and night is the quickest way to send your electric bill through the roof.  Their effect is minimal during daylight hours, so don’t turn them on until the sun is setting and be sure to turn them off before you go to bed. You can also consider using a timer that will automatically turn off/on your lights at a designated time.
2. Switch to LED. Decorating your house with a ton of holiday lights is spectacular, and onlookers will be awed by the beauty of your house. You can help reduce your chances of getting an unpleasant-looking electric bill by switching to LED lights instead of the traditional incandescent bulbs. LED lights not only have a significantly longer lifespan than incandescent lights (20,000 hours {833 days} versus 2,000 hours {83 days}) but they also only use approximately 15 watts of energy as compared to 50 watts of energy for  incandescent lights.
3. Use your Christmas tree lights as your room lights. Bask in the beauty and glow your tree provides. If the light is bright enough, don’t turn your room lights on. 

General Tips to Save Electricity

1. Use body heat for warmth and turn your thermostat down a notch. If you have several guests at your house, that creates extra warmth so there’s no need to keep the thermostat too high. Also, wear slippers and sweaters and use throw blankets to keep you warm and toasty instead of cranking up the heat, which can add up to your electricity bill.
2. Share the oven. When cooking your holiday meals, try to place more than one dish in the oven at once. If you’re cooking your holiday ham, try to put the casserole in the oven and maybe a pie if it fits and can be baked at the same temperature. Also try to avoid opening the oven constantly to check on the food. Every time you open the oven door, your oven’s temperature reduces by 25 degrees, requiring the food to stay in the oven longer.
3. Full load in the dishwasher. If you’re going to use the dishwasher, try to get that machine packed. The fewer loads you have to do, the less electricity and hot water you use.
4. Drink something warm! Yes, even drinking hot cocoa or any hot beverage can help reduce your electric bill because they’ll help keep you nice and warm and you won’t need to turn up the heat as much.
5. Insulate your water pipes. This simple step will raise your water temperature by 2-4 degrees. 

We hope these tips will help you enjoy a holiday that’s not only warm and bright, but cost-effective, too. If you have any electric bill saving tips, please share them below.

Also: Get an instant quote to make sure you have the Florida home insurance you need in the event of a holiday mishap.