Don’t let a full house send energy bills through the roof

Preparing a Thanksgiving feast means you’ll be using more energy than usual.  Here’s how to keep it under control: 

• Lower the heat a couple of degrees before company arrives. You’ll be using the stove and oven all day, so the house will be warmer than usual anyway. Plus, people generate heat, so a cooler house will feel more comfortable. 
• Keep an eye on the refrigerator and freezer so you’ll know the doors at snugly closed. Doors that aren’t tightly sealed will send cold air into the kitchen. 
• Wait until the leftovers cool off a bit before placing them in the refrigerator. The appliance has to work harder to cool hot food than to keep cool food cold. 
• Place lids on pots and pans as you use them for cooking. The lids keep heat in, so food cooks quicker. 
• Heat up whatever you can in the microwave instead of on the stovetop or oven. Microwaves use about half the energy as your oven. 
• Fill your oven with as many different dishes as you can fit and cook them all at once. As long as the recipes don’t call for temperatures that vary by more than 25 degrees, everything should cook or bake evenly.