5 Tips for an Energy Efficient Thanksgiving

By energy_linguist, November 23, 2009, Energy Efficiency, Green, Save Money

Holidays and energy efficiency. Probably not the first thought that crosses your mind as you build your shopping list, oil the turkey carver and stock up on patience before Uncle Bud and your 15 cousins invade for Thanksgiving. Nonetheless, energy efficiency during the holidays is not as far fetched as you might think. A few tips to keep in mind while cooking up your perfect Thanksgiving meal:

If you’re roasting a turkey in the oven, keep the door closed unless the recipe calls for additional basting, turning the turkey, etc. Opening the door every 5 minutes to fiddle could drop oven temps by as much as 30 degrees. Wasteful indeed.
Heat smaller dishes and prep or side items in the microwave versus setting them in the oven to sit or on the stove.
Match small pots to small burners and so forth. Matching pot size to heat source will more efficiently warm your pots and pans for cooking.
Cover foods once cooking time elapses with foil and allow to sit aside versus leaving in a warm oven.
Place oven rack for turkey on the bottom rung, leaving space above for an additional rack to provide shared space for other dishes. The more you can cook simultaneously, the shorter your total oven usage time will be.

In addition to the above tips, monitor your thermostat closely while prepping food and entertaining guests. Thought it seems relatively minor (maybe obsessive compulsive), it’s likely that the combo of extra warm bodies, hot air from your talkative relatives and the oven running most of the morning and afternoon, that you can spare your heater from running on overdrive and leave it set at a modest 68-70 degrees. If anyone complains, tell them to stand in front of the oven.

For more general tips on reducing energy consumption and saving money, visit the Bounce Energy Education Center.

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