Are you looking to save energy this Thanksgiving? Consumer's Energy has sent out a note on how you can decrease your energy costs this holiday.
They say the cost for energy used for preparing an entire Thanksgiving Day meal is .45 if you are using natural gas, and $1.81 when using electric.
This is based on roasting an 18 lb. stuffed turkey, cooking mashed potatoes and gravy, dinner rolls, a vegetable casserole and two pumpkin pies.
Some tips from Consumer's on how to save energy are to keep the oven door closed. The temperature drops 25 - 75 degrees each time the oven door is opened. Instead, peek through the oven window to monitor cooking. And, using roasting bags reduces cooking time in the oven by nearly a half!
Also, use glass and ceramic dishes. They hold heat better and allow you to lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees. If you plan to bake multiple dishes, try baking more than one dish or cook an entire meal in the oven to save energy.
