Thanksgiving Energy Saving Tips: How to Host Dinner Without the Electricity Spike

Hosting Thanksgiving can be a wonderful time for connection, gathering your loved ones around the table, sharing a delicious meal and expressing gratitude. But between the turkey roasting, ovens preheating, and dishwashers running overtime, the holiday can also send your electricity use soaring. The good news? You can still enjoy a warm, delicious feast without the hefty post-holiday utility bill.

Here are a few ways to make your Thanksgiving both memorable and energy efficient.

Plan Your Cooking Schedule Strategically

Your oven can be one of the biggest energy draws in the kitchen, especially when you’re getting ready to host. Luckily, there are a few tips you can use to optimize your energy use.

Batch your baking: If you have items that need to cook at the same temperature, throw them in the oven together. You can also make use of residual heat by ensuring that you have your next dish ready to go into the oven as soon as one comes out.

Resist peeking: Every time you open the oven, you release heat, meaning your oven has to work a little bit harder each time to stay the same temperature. We know it’s tempting to check on your baked goods, but try to avoid opening the oven door unnecessarily to keep that heat in!

Use smaller appliances: Slow cookers, air fryers, and toaster ovens typically use less electricity than full-sized ovens. Using these appliances for sides and desserts can help save energy. As a bonus, you can cook more things at once, helping ensure that your whole meal will be ready at the same time.

Give Your Fridge a Break

The refrigerator is the holiday workhorse — storing ingredients, leftovers, and drinks. But it doesn’t need to run harder than necessary.

Cool it smartly: Avoid putting hot food in the fridge. Let your leftovers come to room temperature on the counter before you put them in the fridge.

Don’t overstuff: A full fridge retains cold efficiently, but overpacking blocks air circulation, meaning your fridge has to use more energy to stay cold. Free up some extra room by sending your guests home with leftovers.

Efficient Mood Lighting

Ambience doesn’t have to mean a higher electricity bill!

Switch to LED lights: If you haven’t already made the switch to LED lightbulbs, start to do so as your incandescent lightbulbs burn out. LEDs are more energy efficient and last longer.

Use candles or string lights: One of our favorite hacks for setting the mood? Keeping the overhead light off. Instead, opt for string lights or candles to create a cozy, warm atmosphere around your dinner table.

Be Smart About Cleanup

After the meal, your dishwasher can either be your best energy-saving ally or your worst offender.

Run full loads only: Your dishwasher will use the same amount of energy no matter how full it is. Be sure it’s full before running it to make the most of the energy use.

Skip the heated dry: Once you’ve run that full load, skip the dishwasher’s heated dry setting and instead air-dry or hand-dry your dishes. This can cut energy use by up to 50%.

Wash efficiently: You don’t need to fully rinse your dishes before loading them in the dishwasher. Simply scraping excess food off is sufficient for most modern dishwashers.

A Thanksgiving That Gives Back

Saving energy doesn’t mean sacrificing warmth, flavor, or tradition. With a few mindful tweaks, you can celebrate a Thanksgiving that’s as good for your energy bills as it is for the planet.
After all, gratitude isn’t just for what we have — it’s for what we protect, too.