Christmas and its preparations cause an spike in energy consumption in many homes. However, there is no energy to be wasted this year, and TYS tenants should keep the Energy Saving Campaign in mind at Christmas time as well. However, you can enjoy Christmas with your loved ones, for example in the form of good food, Christmas lights and a sauna. Many may also go to spend Christmas elsewhere. Even then, you should keep a few things in mind before leaving home. We put together energy-saving tips during Christmas, which will help you spend Christmas more energy-efficiently.
If you’re going away for the holidays:
- Turn off any extra lights at home before you leave. Also remember to check that there are no lights on in the balcony and switch off any seasonal lighting.
- Unplug all extra cords, household appliances, and chargers. Leave the refrigerator plugged in, though.
- Make sure that all the windows and interior doors are closed so that no heating energy will escape your apartment.
- Lower the temperature in your apartment while you’re away. If you adjust the radiators to lower the room temperature by one degree, you will save 5 % in energy costs.
Other energy saving tips for the holiday season
Lights and candles
- Don’t keep the lights on when everyone’s asleep. It’s a good idea to switch off any extra lights when they are not needed. Also, if your seasonal lights have a timer function, use it.
- You can achieve nice atmospheric lighting by having fewer lights on at home and lighting a few candles. However, remember the fire safety rules and always blow out any candles when you leave the room.
- You should favour LED lights in all your Christmas lighting – they conserve much less energy compared to traditional light sets.
Preparing Christmas delicacies
- Try to time your use of the oven so that you can avoid the highest peak consumption hours. These usually occur between 8–10 a.m., 4–5 p.m., and 7–8 p.m.
- Make your Christmas foods all in one go. Don’t heat up the oven just for one dish, instead, cook for instance several casseroles at the same time. Heating a cold oven to a certain temperature uses more energy than maintaining it.
- Utilise the oven’s after-heat in making dishes that are cooked for a longer time.
- It’s a good idea to cook the Christmas ham during the cheaper hours: using off-peak electricity at night is both smart and more affordable both in terms of the environment and general conservation of energy.
- You can also make cooking a bit easier by preparing casseroles and pastries in advance and then putting them in the freezer to wait for the holidays.
- Use the microwave oven in all cooking and heating as much as you can. It provides a more energy-efficient way of cooking compared to the oven as it requires no pre-heating.
- Note that the smallest and fastest appliance is often the cheapest one to use too. For example, the electric kettle is more efficient than the stove and the air fryer is more efficient compared to the oven.
- Whenever cooking on the stove, use a lid. When you cook something without the lid, the energy consumption will triple.
- If you’re cooking something in the oven, lower the room temperature in advance. The oven and the stove heat up the air in the kitchen, and you can prepare for this beforehand and avoid airing the kitchen or your apartment unnecessarily.
Storing your Christmas treats
- Ensure that your fridge and freezer are clean, both inside and outside, and that they have enough room for your Christmas foods. It’s also a good idea to de-ice your freezer before the holidays. The fuller your refrigeration equipment is, the more it will consume electricity. Foods will also keep for longer in roomier equipment.
- Let your finished dishes cool before putting them in the fridge. Cover them well and place them in the yard or the balcony to cool down. This way the foods will keep longer and not heat up the fridge, adding to the appliance’s energy consumption.
Christmas sauna
- In case you have reserved a sauna slot for Christmas, don’t forget to use it. If you have changed your mind, remember to cancel your reservation.
Recycling
- Also check out the TYS Christmas-time recyckling tips and sort all your Christmastime waste appropriately.
