Energize Your Holidays

Fact

With the added travel, cooking, shopping and parties inherent during the holiday season, your environmental footprint can skyrocket. But while the average household uses more energy during the winter months, there are simple steps you can take to reduce your overall consumption and make this a low-impact holiday season.

Get Started

• Check for air leaks in your home. Studies show that homeowners received dramatically reduced electricity bills after their homes were weatherized. On average, electricity usage was reduced by 12-18 percent each month. Basic measures include weatherstripping, window caulking, attic insulation and switching to energy efficient light bulbs.
• Turn down the heat. Adjusting the thermostat by just two degrees is the equivalent of 2,000 pounds of carbon emissions annually and almost $100 in energy costs. That’s the equivalent of driving a car more than 3,000 miles!
• Make the switch to LED holiday lights. They use 10 times less energy than incandescent mini-lights, 100 times less energy than standard bulbs and last more than 50,000 hours! According to Consumer Reports, LEDs “used 1 to 3 kilowatt hours of energy, compared with 12 to 105 kWh for the incandescents, saving $1 to $11.”

Become a Pro

• Remember that the more guests in your home, the lower your thermostat can go as more people will generate body heat. So, adjust the thermostat accordingly for a cozy, energy-efficient party atmosphere.
• Carpool with your friends and family for holiday get-togethers and shopping trips. A 10 percent increase in transit ridership nationwide would save 135 million gallons of gasoline a year.
• Shop for holiday gifts online and order multiple items that can be shipped together. According to the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, to have 10 pounds of packages shipped by overnight air uses 40 percent less fuel than driving yourself round-trip to the mall.