Keep Your Home Efficient This Holiday Season

The holidays can be a magical time with pretty twinkle lights and delicious homemade treats. But using all that extra energy can add up, giving you a large bill in January — especially since we’ll be staying at home much more this year. Staying home this holiday season will certainly save you money on travel. But it also means that your home energy bill could spike over the coming weeks. Keeping the lights on, decorating for the holidays, and baking goodies for your family to enjoy can quickly add up. If you want to keep your home as efficient as possible this holiday season, then follow these helpful tips.

Make the switch to LED lights

If you haven’t made the switch to LED holiday lights, then what are you waiting for? LED holiday lights are up to 85 percent more efficient than traditional holiday lights. Not only that but they also last much longer than traditional lights and many strings of lights can be connected together without overloading a socket. You don’t have to worry about any of the bulbs breaking or getting too hot, and one light isn’t going to make the whole string go out. LED lights can often be controlled with a remote control or a smartphone, too, making them much easier to turn on and off. If you only make one switch to your holiday routine this year, then make it switching to LEDs. You’ll be so glad you did.

Use timers on your lights

Why keep all those holiday lights on overnight when everyone is sleeping? If you’re planning to deck your halls with lots of lights, then be sure to put them all on timers. You can schedule the timers to come on at dusk and stay on for a set period of time, such as four or six hours. Not only will this save you money on your electric bill, but it will also make it so much easier on you. You won’t have to go around the house every day turning the lights on and off. You can even buy timers that will connect to your smartphone or tablet so you can operate them from the comfort of your couch.

Decorate with candles

Who says lights have to plug in for them to be festive? You can create a beautiful holiday ambiance in your home with something as simple as candles. Everyone looks good by candlelight and they can save you big bucks on your holiday lighting bill. If you’re concerned about open flames, then buy battery-operated candles. You may be surprised as to how realistic flameless candles look, and many of them operate with a remote control and can be set with a timer so you don’t waste their batteries.

Strategize your baking

Baking has become one of the official hobbies of the pandemic. From sourdough loaves to banana bread, it seems like everyone has jumped on the baking bandwagon. Why not extend that love of baking into the holiday season? Baking cookies and other homemade food gifts is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday. But keeping the oven on for days at a time can really add up. If you’re planning to bake goodies for the holidays, then strategize your schedule. Plan to bake several items at a time so you can minimize how long your oven stays on over the coming days and weeks.

Get a smart thermostat

Finally, one of the best things you can do to keep your home efficient this holiday season is to invest in a smart thermostat. A smart thermostat will learn the patterns of your household and adjust the heating and cooling as needed. It reduces the amount of time you spend heating your home without needing to, and it can easily be controlled from any of your devices so you can make adjustments when you’re away from home.

Contact Keller New York today

Is buying or selling real estate on your to-do list for the New Year? Then contact the Keller New York Bronx office at 718-697-6800 or the Eastchester – Scarsdale office at 914-713-3270 today! We’re standing by to answer all your questions and help you through every step of the real estate process.