With the holiday and winter season upon us, it's more important than ever to use energy wisely and save money in the process. Here are a few simple ways to keep electricity costs down while having a safe and festive holiday season:

• Use LED holiday lights, which last longer and use about 70% less energy than incandescent light strings both indoors and outside. For extra savings, install a timer and set your holiday lights to automatically turn on and off at specific times.

• Insulate your home this winter by sealing up cracks and plugging leaks to prevent heat from escaping through windows and doors. Take advantage of LADWP rebates for energy efficient windows and whole house energy retrofits.

• In the kitchen, use the right size pot for each stove burner and check the progress of dishes in the oven by using the oven light instead of opening the door, which allows heat to escape and wastes energy.
  
  
• Cold outside? Snuggle under blankets instead of turning up the heat.
  
  
• Turn down your thermostat when guests come over, since all those people in your house will keep it warm.
  
  
• Install a programmable thermostat for your heater and program it with an energy savings schedule.
  
  
• Turn off your outdoor and indoor holiday lights when you’re not home. This is also a good safety precaution to prevent an electrical fire and use a power strip for electronics and holiday lights, and be sure to turn it off when not in use.

LADWP offers a variety of rebates and programs for our residential customers including ebates and incentives for appliances, building products, heating & cooling, landscape & irrigation, pool pumps, and toilets. You can learn more here.