Staying Green And Guest-Friendly During the Holiday Season
Being surrounded by family and friends over the holiday is one of the greatest gifts a person can receive. Unfortunately, housing guests can also be quite costly. In preparation for incoming guests this holiday season,here are tips on how to keep your electricity and heating bills low while you keep your guests happy.
Stay warm with layers and blankets. Rather than turning up the heat to keep guests warm and cozy, offer blankets and holiday socks for guests to borrow during their visit. This will not only reduce your heating bill, but it will also allow for guests to choose how they are most comfortable – with or without the extra layers.
On the flip side, use fans wisely. You may decide to place fans in the kitchen to expel the heat from cooking, however it’s important to keep in mind that you should use fans wisely. According to HOP Energy’s conservation tips, a hard-working bathroom or kitchen fan can expel a whole houseful of warm air. Use the fan to do its job, then turn it off.
Perform a checkup on your house and correct any issues you find. Often times, we don’t consider checking our home for heating and cooling issues until something goes wrong. Try to perform a check of your home every few months, and correct any issues you find at that time. The Virginia Department of Energy suggests checking your attic, basement, crawlspace, windows, doors and dryer vent for possible air leakage. Seal leaks with caulking or add insulation as needed.
Continue tried and true practices. When you don’t have holiday guests, you probably have tried and true green practices that you work on year round. Some of the most common are turning off lights when you leave the room and unplugging appliances when you aren’t using them. Continue working on these practices even when you have guests. Offer them a friendly reminder when they arrive to turn off lights and unplug appliances. Since not everyone participates in these practices in their own home, they may need a friendly reminder of the practices you prefer in your home.
These are our tips for keeping your bills down and your home friendly for guests this holiday season. How do you keep your bills reasonable with guests in town? Leave us a comment below and let us know what tips you would offer for reducing bills this holiday season.
