HONOLULU (KHON2) — The holidays are here. While we’re all thinking about decking out our homes with festive décor and hosting family gatherings, it’s important to consider how this might affect our electric bills.
“During this time of year, we are cooking, decorating, and entertaining more, which can raise energy bills. And we’re here to help! At Hawai’i Energy, our mission is to educate and incentivize Hawaii residents and businesses about the many and lasting benefits of saving energy,” said Tammy Burks from Hawaii Energy.
Holiday cooking using stoves and ovens can be a big use of energy, as can decorations with lighting.
“Absolutely! When it comes to cooking, using microwaves, air fryers, and Instant Pots can save you as much as 80% on your cooking energy costs and save you time as well,” Burks said. “For decorating, many of us still use old incandescent lights, which waste up to 90% of energy and burn pretty hot to the touch. Switching to LEDs can save you up to 90% on holiday decorative lighting costs, and they’re safer for your family and furry friends.”
Burks added that one of the biggest ways to save energy is keeping appliances up to date.
“The easiest way to save energy this season and every day is to make sure your appliances are energy-efficient, ENERGY STAR models. Old appliances can cost us 2-3x more to run than newer ENERGY STAR models. At Hawaii Energy, we have over $5,000 in rebates to help with these upgrades. Our top 2 rebates this season are the $250 Refrigerator Trade-up rebate, good towards a qualifying ENERGY STAR fridge when you turn in your old 14 cubic feet or larger fridge, and our other hot rebate right now is our instant, in-store heat pump water heater rebate. We just increased it just in time for the holidays. It’s now up to $700 depending on the size. Remember, all of our rebates are stackable with holiday sale pricing. So it’s a smart move to make the upgrade now if you can!”
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For more information on rebates and tips, visit Hawaii Energy’s website.