![\"1331230941_crazy_lady_at_the_library\"](\"http:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2014\/10\/1331230941_crazy_lady_at_the_library.gif\")
<\/p>\n
2. Cover Up<\/h2>\n
If you find yourself getting cold (which is quite possible now that the chilly New England weather has arrived), don\u2019t reach for the thermostat. Instead, do as mom always told you and grab a sweatshirt, socks, or blanket. These will get you warm quick so you won\u2019t be as inclined to touch the thermostat!<\/p>\n
![\"pURGR\"](\"http:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2014\/10\/pURGR.gif\")
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3. Turn \u2018Em Off<\/h2>\n
This is a no-brainer, but it\u2019s so easy to forget in the midst of our busy days. But, we need to remember to turn lights off when we leave the room. Often times I will be in a rush to get to work on time and forget to shut off my bedroom lights. Not just one light, but three: the overhead light, closet light, and bureau lamp. What happens now? They stay on \u2013 ALL day. Simply put, it\u2019s a waste of money and energy to keep lights on when you\u2019re not using the room. By making this a habit, you’ll minimize your energy usage and also put more dollars back into your pocket.<\/p>\n
![\"lightswitch-o\"](\"http:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2014\/10\/lightswitch-o.gif\")
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
4. Use the Microwave<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re only cooking for a couple people, heating up yesterday\u2019s leftovers, or making a side dish, consider using the microwave instead of the stove or oven. Did you know that microwaves use 30-80% less energy<\/a>\u00a0than regular ovens do? That\u2019s pretty impressive, and definitely worth the savings when you\u2019re cooking small portions. Since microwaves use high-frequency waves, it also takes way less time to cook things. It\u2019s a win-win! You get to eat faster (thus being more productive) AND save money on your electricity bill at the same time!<\/p>\n Don\u2019t believe me that you can make delicious meals in the microwave? Or just need some inspiration to get you started? Here are some recipes<\/a>\u00a0that you can use throughout the whole day. Some them look so good that I might even try one out for myself tonight!<\/p>\n Whenever you\u2019re cooking on the stove, remember to put a lid on it! Did you know that without a cover on your pot\/pan, it uses about 60%\u00a0more energy<\/a> than if it was covered? So, next time you\u2019re boiling potatoes or simmering you\u2019re favorite side dish, think of that fact.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n *Photo<\/a> by Steve A. Johnson<\/a> \/ CC BY<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When it comes to consuming energy, we Americans are pretty darn good at it. But, with a few simple tricks, you can minimize your energy usage and drop your electricity bill without feeling like you’ve even tried.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[78,2,79,80],"class_list":["post-269","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy-savings","tag-cooking","tag-energy-savings-tips","tag-lights","tag-thermostat"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2014\/10\/light.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7rbwO-4l","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"microwave\"](\"http:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2014\/10\/microwave.gif\")
<\/p>\n5. Cook Consciously<\/h2>\n
![\"giphy\"](\"http:\/\/providerpower.com\/power-to-help\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2014\/10\/giphy.gif\")
<\/p>\n