Winter consumes more energy than summer, that’s a given. And especially Advent drives electricity usage through the roof each year. Baking cookies, heating, cooking for the whole family. The municipal energy provider N-Ergie offers some tips on how to keep the monthly bill from soaring.
One Christmas staple that shouldn’t be missing is, of course, baking cookies. This is actually an area where you can save real money. According to N-Ergie, preheating the oven is often unnecessary. Whenever possible, home bakers should always use the convection setting.
The temperature can then be set 20 to 30 degrees lower than with conventional top and bottom heat. The oven, which is used frequently during the Christmas season, actually consumes four times more energy than the stovetop. So for an energy-efficient Christmas meal, it’s better to stick to the cooktop. The rule remains: Keep lids on the pots and always match the pot size to the burner.
Saving energy at Christmas: What to do with heating, ovens, stoves, fairy lights and electrical appliances
In the lead-up to Christmas, strings of lights are everywhere, and without them, December would feel incomplete. But the choice of lighting has a direct impact on the electricity bill. Energy-efficient LED lights consume "only about ten percent of the power" compared to old strings with incandescent or halogen bulbs. They also last roughly a hundred times longer, with a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours. Solar-powered Christmas lights, switchable power strips, or timers that ensure the lights are only on when it’s dark also help save energy.
Those who travel before or during the Christmas holidays - to visit relatives or go on vacation - should take some precautions. Otherwise, they risk a shock when they return and see the electricity bill. Simply turning off electronic devices is often not enough. “As long as the plug remains in the socket, devices like TVs or computers continue to run in standby mode,” explains N-Energie. Unplugging the device or switching off the relevant power strip provides a solution.