Serving Tampa & Surrounding Areas It might be hard to believe, but the holidays are officially here – along with the crazy whirlwind of visitors and festivities that come with the season. With all the family, friends, and food to organize, your Tampa home will soon be bustling and busier than ever, using more energy than any other time of year. Between all of your visitor’s comings and goings, the charging of guests’ many digital devices, not to mention all that extra kitchen use, it’s no surprise that this time of year is when energy bills tend to spiral out of control. The good news is that there are a few simple things you can do to make sure your bill doesn’t go completely overboard. With Thanksgiving, less than a week away (how did that happen!), Home Service Heroes has compiled a list of things you can do to help save energy over the upcoming holiday.
Pre-Thanksgiving Prep
With all the extra energy you’ll be using over the holidays, what is a better time to get more energy-efficient lighting than Thanksgiving? LEDs are an easy, excellent option for both indoor and outdoor lighting. They use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than most incandescent lighting. If you’re interested in making the switch for the holidays, give us a call and one of our experienced electricians can help with the installation process, with same-day service options and upfront pricing.
But, if you’re out of time and can’t make the switch before the holiday craziness hits, you can always practice the simple rule of turning off lights in rooms that aren’t occupied. Another quick tip – before your guests arrive, take the opportunity to lower your thermostat by just a few degrees to prevent unnecessary overheating of the space, as their body heat should more than make up the difference.
Thanksgiving Day
When it comes to ways to save energy in the kitchen, look no further than the main dish – your turkey. The first thing you can do for yourself and your sanity – is realistic about the size of turkey you actually need. A smaller turkey won’t take as long to cook. Also, your turkey will also cook faster if you cook the dressing separately, so keep that in mind as you prepare. Once you have your turkey and the timing figured out, come up with a simple plan of attack for the rest of your meal that will minimize your energy usage. Look for side dishes that be cooked along with the turkey at a similar temperature for a similar length of time. Avoid excessively opening the oven when roasting or baking, each time you open the oven door a ton of heat escapes. Also don’t be afraid to put your microwave to the test – use it for shortcuts where you can, as microwaves draw and use less than ½ the energy of your oven.
Clean Up
If you’re the one stuck with the unenviable task of Thanksgiving cleanup, here are a few tips to save on energy, including your own. Scrape those plates as clean as you can get them. If you can remove the majority of food off the plates beforehand, your dishwasher should be able to take care of the rest without a big pre-rinse. Did you break out the good china for the in-laws? Go ahead and hand wash delicate items, but save the bulk of the dishes for the dishwasher and let it do the dirty work.
We know the holidays are a hectic time, but don’t let lighting or HVAC issues ruin the fun. Contact the experts at Home Service Heroes if you need help with installing energy-efficient lighting, HVAC repair, or help with any other electrical needs you might encounter this season. Call us at (813) 696-3398 to schedule an appointment today
