How to reduce energy usage around holidays like Halloween?

Halloween is a night of fun and frights where little ghouls and monsters run from door to door shouting “trick-or-treat” as they unknowingly make fond lifelong memories.
But while the young and young at heart spend the night getting sick from candy, that doesn’t mean you need to get sick looking out at your brightly lit yard and thinking of the huge energy expense that can come from holidays. Few things are spookier than an unexpectedly high bill after all.
October 31 should be a time for you and your family to have fun, eat candy and spend the night laughing and getting scared. Here’s a few simple steps on how to save money and still have fun this Halloween (and all year long):

Don’t let energy vampires suck away your energy

First things first, you can’t exactly save on energy if you are using it up faster than you can save. Make sure you fon;t have “energy-wasters” running through your house that aren’t being used. If you are stepping out of the house, ask yourself “What electronics should I turn off before leaving the house? Here’s a quick checklist:

• Lights
• TVs
• Electronics chargers when not in use
• Empty freezer
• Coffee makers
• Microwaves
• Computers
• Game consoles

Of course, you needn’t turn every single item in your house off, especially if it serves a purpose. You can leave your indoor halloween lights like spooky jack-o'-lanterns and frightening displays up, just make sure to unplug anything that isn’t being used to save energy.

Keep out the cold (or else!)

Was that a ghost? No, it’s the draft moving through your house! Opening and closing the door throughout the night can’t be helped as little ghouls and monsters come to your door, but you can mitigate the energy drain it creates by making sure all your other windows and doors stay closed. Drafty windows and open doors can cost serious money over the course of the year.

Don’t waste heating on the ghouls

If you know you’ll be stepping out of the house for a few hours to skulk through the night for tricks and treats, why not adjust your home’s temperature so you aren’t heating up empty rooms? A programmable thermostat can schedule the times the heating or air-conditioning turns on, even creating multiple settings per day (such as early morning, afternoon and evening.) You can also manually override these settings without affecting the schedule.

Reuse costumes, or make them from home

All products take energy to make, and costumes are no different. Costumes have to be produced, shipped (often internationally) moved to stores, not to mention the roundtrip you’ll have to make driving to and from the store you bought it. That adds up to a hefty carbon footprint for a single costume. Compare that to making your own with old costumes and objects around the house: carbon free. Not to mention fun! Anyone can buy a costume, but making one from scratch comes with a dose of DIY pride that you created it all on your own (with help from mom of course.)

“I am a HUGE fan of pulling costumes from your closet,” says Miranda, writer of the spook-tacular blog Spooky Little Halloween. “It's easy to pull together a costume using items you already have, especially when it comes to dressing as pop culture characters.” Spooky Little Halloween even has a few ideas you can peruse. “Think about your favorite books, TVs, or movies - which characters resonate with you that might be hiding in your closet? For me, it's Lydia Deetz. I have black dresses for days and could pull together her look from when we first meet her in "Beetlejuice" in about five minutes.

Before going out to the store to buy a costume, see if you can make one on your own. Here’s a helpful list of some super easy homemade costume projects you and your family can work on. Not only will it save money, it’ll be better for the environment too! Reusing costumes really is the ultimate way to stretch your Halloween budget.

Use LED lights

Nothing says Halloween like spooky glowing lights decorating the yards and sidewalks (and maybe a small glow stick for your little trick-or-treater. Safety first!)

If you have the option and are in the market for Halloween lights, consider grabbing LED Halloween lights and decorations like LED jack-o'-lanterns this year. According to energy.gov, LED lights are safer, sturdier and longer lasting than incandescent lights.

“LED lighting products typically last much longer than other lighting types,” says energy.gov. “A good quality LED bulb can last 3 to 5 times longer than a CFL and 30 times longer than an incandescent bulb.”

If you are really looking to make the most of your environmental impact, consider solar Halloween lights. They can charge up during the day time, then keep your yard looking spooky through the whole night!

Make decorations from objects at home, or upcycle old ones

Instead of making one more trip to one more store, see what you have lying around the house. Creativity might just spark and you’ll find you have something even better in the back of your closet than you could ever find at the store.

If there is that one item you really need (because let’s face it, who hasn’t misplaced a plastic pumpkin or two?) you can always pick up a cheaper item at the dollar store, then upgrade it with items you have at home.

“[Dollar stores] have great, classic items like signs, skulls, or even pumpkins that you can decorate with,” Miranda says. “You can even upcycle them with craft materials you have at home already to make them more your style. Plus, who doesn't love having custom holiday decor no one else owns? Instagram and TikTok are FULL of DIY hacks for dollar store decor this season.”

Make holiday treats with ingredients from the snacks you already have at home

“Have a favorite Halloween candy bar?” asks Miranda, “Layer it into a brownie batter for a sweet holiday treat. Looking for something salty? I love creating a fall snack mix with nuts, cheese crackers, and pretzels to munch on at Halloween gatherings or while watching football.”

Give us a call to get a better plan and save all year round

Spooky high energy bills can come any time of the year! But you don’t have to live in fear. Consult an energy expert!

Price To Compare can exorcise your high-rate energy plan. Find the best fixed-rate plan available in your area and finally get a good night’s sleep knowing a ghoulish electric or gas bill won’t come creeping around the corner.

When there’s something strange with your energy bill, you ya’ gonna call? Price To Compare!

Thank you to Miranda and Spooky Little Halloween for the fantastic information!