FAMILIES everywhere are gearing up to host guests over the Christmas period.
But lighting and heating your home for extra people can make energy bills soar.
Here’s how to have a cosy, but not too costly, time . . .
DEGREE TO DIFFER: Extra bodies in the home will generate extra heat, plus preparing meals in the kitchen will create more warmth.
Take advantage and turn your thermostat down one degree when you have guests.
If kept this tiny bit lower all year round, you’d save about £90, says the Energy Saving Trust.
SUN SAVERS
Four cheap & savvy tips to spruce up your home before welcoming Christmas guests
LIGHT SWITCH: Create a festive vibe and save pennies by switching off the main lights and using LED candles instead.
For outside, consider solar-powered fairy lights and decorations that run on daylight.
Switch off your lights at the plug before bed — and while you’re at it, turn off other appliances, too.
LOAD UP: Hosting often means more dishes and laundry to clean.
Make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are fully loaded before switching them on with the “eco” setting, if you have one, to save on bills.
PUT A LID ON IT: When parboiling your potatoes, keep the lids on pans.
Doing this saves around ten per cent on energy usage, the Energy Saving Trust says.
As an added bonus, your kitchen will get less steamy.
If you’re using your oven, try to plan so you can cook multiple dishes at once.
Avoid opening the oven door to check on your food, as hot air escapes and the appliance uses more energy to get the temperature back up.
COOL OFF: Freezing Christmas leftovers is a great way to cut waste.
But make sure food has cooled completely before doing so.
This will help your freezer work more efficiently and save on energy.
- All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability.
Deal of the day
THIS red velvet jumpsuit is a great Christmas party outfit, and is down from £40 to £20 at Matalan.
SAVE: £20
Cheap treat
ADD some magic to your tree with this Wicked Glinda decoration, down from £8 to £5.60, at Marks & Spencer.
SAVE: £2.40
What’s new?
YOUR Christmas table will be all the more fun with Sainsbury’s vanilla-flavoured snowman cheesecake, £7, available to buy from this weekend.
Top swap
BAG Charlotte Tilbury’s popular pillow talk lipstick, £29, cultbeauty.co.uk.
Or pucker up with W7 culture soft satin lipstick, £4 from Boots.
SAVE: £25
Little helper
CREATE an easy homemade gift with this DIY Christmas paint mug, £8, from Flying Tiger.
Shop & save
BUY two stonebaked pizzas and a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream – usually £13.65 in total – for £5 from the Co-op until December 31.
SAVE: £8.65
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