Discover Tips for Cutting Down on Energy Consumption
From operating your oven practically nonstop to hosting a house full of guests, a household’s energy consumption can skyrocket at Thanksgiving time.
This year, our fireplace shop in Gainesville, GA, is committed to helping you keep your energy bills low. Here are some tips that will help you cut down on energy use:
- Get more out of your oven. Plan side dishes that can be cooked at the same temperature as the turkey. Cooking food simultaneously reduces the overall time your oven is operating.
- Make use of your slow cooker. Although cooking food in your slow cooker may take longer, it uses less energy than your oven. But, resist the urge to peek inside your slow cooker. Every time you lift the lid early in the cooking process, the temperature inside drops 10 to 15 degrees, which can add as much as 25 minutes to the cooking time.
- Fire up your outdoor cooker. Consider smoking your turkey or grilling a side dish instead of baking it in the oven. Using your outdoor cooker saves you energy by reducing how much you rely on your oven. It also reduces how much heat your oven produces and releases into your home. As a result, your home will remain cooler, protecting your air conditioner from having to overwork itself to ward off the added heat.
- Use ceramic or glass pans. Ceramic and glass cookware retain heat better. Plus, this material is designed to continue cooking food even after being removed from the oven. As a result, you can turn down your oven’s temperature by 25 degrees and turn your oven off sooner without the fear of your food not being fully cooked.
- Use your oven’s convection feature. When heated air is circulated around food, it reduces the required temperature and cooking time, potentially cutting your energy use by 20 percent.
- Lids are essential. When you’re cooking food on the stovetop, putting a lid on your pots leads to food heating up faster and staying hotter for longer.
- When it’s time to clean up, don’t work harder—work smarter. A dishwasher saves energy and water. Because of this, only hand-wash things that aren’t dishwasher safe. Put everything else in the dishwasher. When loading your dishwasher, don’t pre-rinse your dishes with hot water. Instead, scrape them and place them in the dishwasher. Unless food is really caked on, your dishwasher should get the dishes clean without a pre-rinse. Also, don’t start your dishwasher until it’s fully loaded and stop it before the heated dry cycle. After the dishes are washed, open the door and let your dishes air-dry.
Gobble up Year-Long Energy Savings
There’s a way you can reduce your home’s energy consumption all year long: Install a fireplace insert from Bolton.
Although your wood-burning fireplace ignites a cozy and inviting atmosphere, it generates a dismal 10 percent efficiency rating at best. This means 90 percent of the heat produced goes right up the chimney. A fireplace insert puts a stop to this significant heat loss.
An insert is designed to slide directly into your wood-burning fireplace, transforming it into an energy-efficient powerhouse. Without sacrificing the allure of a real fire, a wood, pellet or gas insert blocks warm air from escaping and cold air from entering through your chimney and transforms your existing hearth into a super efficient heater that sends more warmth where it’s needed—inside your home. Upgrading to this more efficient unit can cut your energy bills by as much as 40 percent. It also is easy to maintain, enhances your home’s indoor air quality, adds value to your home and so much more!
To install a fireplace insert or to schedule a gas fireplace repair in Buford, GA, fill out our online form or call us at 770.268.2010 today!