Media Contact: Scott Reigstad (608) 458-3145
MADISON, WI – November 23, 2009 – As loved ones gather across the country to enjoy Thanksgiving Day dinner, Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), an Alliant Energy company, encourages customers to remember the value of energy by implementing energy efficiency practices as they prepare their holiday feast.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost of the goods for this year’s traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten people is approximately $42.91. Alliant Energy can appreciate the value of the energy necessary to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for family and friends. The average cost for Alliant Energy customers to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner using energy sources such as electricity or natural gas is $1.23 and 59 cents, respectively.
Thanksgiving Menu – Electricity Cost – Natural Gas Cost
16 lb stuffed turkey roasted in an oven for 3.5 hours – $ 0.71 – $ 0.35
Large pan of mashed potatoes cooked for 20 minutes – $ 0.08 – $ 0.03
Giblet gravy cooked on the stove for 10 minutes – $ 0.04 – $ 0.01
Homemade dinner rolls baked for 30 minutes – $ 0.10 – $ 0.05
Vegetable casserole baked in an oven for 30 minutes – $ 0.10 – $ 0.05
Two pumpkin pies baked in an oven for 1 hour – $ 0.20 – $ 0.10
Total Energy Value – $ 1.23 – $ 0.59
Alliant Energy also offers the following energy efficiency cooking tips to practice when preparing Thanksgiving Day dinner to maximize your energy value:
* Use the ‘lids-on’ approach to stove top cooking. Tightly fitted lids help keep heat within pots and pans, which permits the use of lower temperature settings and shorter cooking times.
* When cooking on top of your range, match the size of the pan to the heating element. More heat will get to the pan and less will be lost to the surrounding air.
* Coast to the finish: Food keeps cooking even after you turn off the burner. When food is almost ready, turn off the oven or burners and let existing heat finish the cooking for you.
* Always cook on the highest heat until liquid begins to boil. Upon boiling, lower the heat control setting and allow food to simmer until fully cooked.
* The turkey is traditionally stuffed early in the morning and roasted for hours. Since it’s a long, slow cook, there’s no need to preheat your oven, even when the recipe suggests it. This also holds true for a holiday ham. In fact, unless you’re baking breads or pastries, you may not need to preheat the oven at all.
* When using an electric oven, cook as much of your meal in it at one time as possible. Foods with different cooking temperatures can often be cooked simultaneously – variations of 25 degrees Fahrenheit in either direction still produce good results and save energy.
* Shut the door: Admit it. You like to watch food cook. This Thanksgiving, resist the urge to open the oven door, as doing so will decrease the temperature inside by 25 to 30 degrees. Use your oven light and look through the window instead to keep the oven hot and the kitchen comfortable.
* Use glass or ceramic pans, they heat faster than metal pans and the cooking temperature may be lowered by 25°F. The benefit is the foods will cook in the same time with less energy.
* Don’t overlook the other cooking appliances at Thanksgiving. Fast and efficient microwave ovens use around 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens.
* When cleaning up after dinner, do not use your oven’s self-cleaning cycle unless you have a major cleaning job on your hands. Wipe up minor spills and splatters with a damp cloth.
* When using the oven’s self-clean feature, start the cycle right after cooking, while the oven is still hot, or wait until late evening hours when use of electricity is lowest.
* In addition to your stove, your refrigerator and freezer also get a real workout over the holidays. Help your refrigerator and freezer operate efficiently and economically by keeping the doors closed as much as possible so the cold air doesn’t escape.
* If all your holiday cooking doesn’t heat up your house, your guests will. Turn your thermostat down 3 to 5 degrees — no one will notice the difference.
“On behalf of our company and its employees, we wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday,” said Barbara Swan, President – WPL. “We encourage hosts of all Thanksgiving celebrations to realize the value of energy and to implement energy efficiency practices into their dinner preparations.”
