(WPTV) — 'Tis the season for using a lot of electricity at your house.
From the holiday decorations to cooking with your stove, it can all add up.
Julia Schleicher from Florida Power and Light helped sister-station WPTV identify a few ways to make sure the December electric bill isn't an unwelcome present after the holidays.
Schleicher said, "With the holiday season here and the year coming to an end I'm sure everyone's trying to save money where they can."
For starters, certain outdoor holiday decorations can use a lot of electricity.
"One example is inflatables. They're really fun to have outside but they can add a lot to your bill. Anywhere from one to fifteen dollars a month," said Schleicher.
To save, spend a few extra bucks and use a timer to have the decorations on when you're home and turned off while you're sleeping.
You'll likely use your oven a lot this month.
Keep in mind, opening and closing it will at least heat up your kitchen and, in turn, make your air conditioner work to keep things cool.
That’s important because your air conditioner use makes up a huge chunk of the electric bill.
Schleicher said, "For our normal hotter days, every degree you raise your thermostat can save you 2% on your monthly cooling cost."
When you're heating your home in the few cold weeks here in South Florida., every degree you lower your thermostat can save you 5% on your monthly bill.
For prime hot water heater use and savings, Schleicher says set your water temperature to 120 degrees for prime savings.
If you're headed out of town for the holidays, unplug it so it's not using any electricity.
Maybe you’ll have a lot of friends and family in and out of the house this month and your ceiling fans might stay on longer than usual.
Keep this in mind: if you leave ceiling fans on all day and night for a month, that would tack on an extra $7 on your monthly bill.
For more energy-saving tips that could lead to savings, go to www.fpl.com/tips.
