HOOSIER ENERGY

Plan for the wastes of

energy past, present, and future

and save on energy costs

This holiday season, while preparing for the fun that comes from the enjoyable winter holidays, you also can prepare for the higher bills caused by the wastes of energy past, present, and future. By overcoming these energy phantoms, you can make amends for past wasted energy and prevent them from taking more from your wallet in the future.

ENERGY PAST

This one frequently raises its head around this time of year. The holiday decorations and lights hibernating in attics and garages 10 months a year typically emerge each winter to smile at neighbors and passersby.

Yet, these decorations often show their age on your energy bill. If your decorations are five years old or more, they may be gulping significantly more electricity compared to their newer, more energy efficient counterparts. You also can add timers for your decorations to ensure that they are turned on when it makes the most sense.

ENERGY PRESENT

With families spending more time at home during the holidays, you can expect energy bills to reflect the increased energy use. There are options you can consider (or even gift!) that can help lower that energy use. Options range from advanced power strips that turn off idling equipment to minimize energy waste all the way to ENERGY STAR®-certified appliances that can replace older, more inefficient devices that may be toward the end of their life cycle.

ENERGY FUTURE

It’s never too early to plan for the future! You can contact your local electric cooperative’s energy advisor for insights on your home’s energy use and ways you can improve. Your energy advisor may even recommend that your home receive an energy audit, which includes an in-depth review and will provide you with action items to reduce your home’s energy use. You can ensure that you and your guests are comfortable while minimizing your energy use, regardless of how frightful the weather is outside.

With a little planning, you can take steps to lower your energy use this holiday season and beyond. And much like the Jelly of the Month Club, smart energy use is the gift that keeps giving all year long! Learn more tips about saving energy year-round at www.PowerMoves.com.

THAT’S A wrap Make it a ‘green’ season with eco-friendly gift-wrapping ideas

With a bit of creativity and preplanning, those holiday gifts you bought for everyone can be wrapped both beautifully AND in an environmentally conscious way. Here are 10 eco-friendly tips to try when it’s time to wrap things up!

1Embrace one of the “buzziest” trends in gift wrapping: furoshiki, a Japanese method that uses fabric to sustainably make any item presentworthy. Napkins, tea towels or scarves work well for wrapping smaller gifts. If you have a larger present to wrap, head to the fabric store to pick up the size of fabric needed in a holiday print. Or, you can recycle an old sheet by cutting it into appropriately sized furoshiki cloth. The cloth can be reused over and over again to wrap presents in the years to come.

2Got an old T-shirt or flannel shirt headed for the rag pile? Instead, cut the shirt into ribbon-width strips to use to tie around your package. Or, tie an old tie into a packagebow.

3Another way to decorate your package: use natural elements like evergreen or thyme sprigs, cinnamon sticks, dried flowers or dried citrus peel. Tie them on your packages with twine or recycled ribbon from last year. These decorations can be added to the compost pile after the gift is unwrapped.

4Elevate your gifts with snazzy package tie-ons like thrift shop costume jewelry, Christmas tree ornaments or jingle bells.

5Old maps, colorful pages torn from old magazines, and yesterday’s newspaper can all be used as gift wrapping. Or, use some of your kids’ artwork as gift wrap. (This is a perfect idea when wrapping gifts for the grandparents!)

6Colorful washi tape not only gives packages an artistic flair; the tape is biodegradable and thus environmentally friendly.

7Glass mason jars are a cute, trendy and recyclable container for small gifts and, of course, food items. The jars can be decorated with washi tape and the aforementioned package tie-ons.

8Turn an empty potato chip bag inside out and wipe the greasy residue clean with a towel. Voila! You now have a silver gift bag that no one would guess once held munchies.

9Turn old postcards and the fronts of old Christmas cards into gift tags. You can also cut festive shapes out of corrugated cardboard shipping boxes and use those as gift tags. Try attaching the gift tags with clothespins.

10 A pillowcase can be used as a gift bag that can actually be utilized for its original purpose once the holidays are over. Even novice sewers can make pillowcases from festive seasonal fabric in just minutes. They’d look just as good on a bed as they would stuffed with goodies under the Christmastree.