The holiday season hustle and bustle can lead to a surprise when your monthly energy bill arrives. However, if you plan ahead you can alleviate some of the potential energy sting.Cuivre River Electric Cooperative reminds you to consider these activities:• More general lighting is used as daylight decreases. To control costs make sure lights are turned off when you leave a room. Change your most-used incandescent bulbs to CFL or LED bulbs to help save energy. Replacing a 75 watt incandescent bulb with a 20 watt CFL equivalent saves 55 watts of energy right from the start.• Holiday lights use energy; you can control it if you plan ahead. The home with the largest lighting display in the neighborhood probably has the largest energy bill as well. Lights use just a few watts individually, but try adding up several hundred or thousand bulbs and you can see where your energy dollars go. LED holiday bulbs have grown in popularity and costs have dropped. They aren’t made of glass, are durable, give no heat and may last up to 10 times longer. LEDs may still cost a bit more, but pay off in long-term energy savings.• There’s more cooking and baking for family gatherings. Consider using the microwave or a slow cooker to help cut energy use.• There’s a holiday chill in the air. Regardless of your heating source, you’re going to use more energy this time of year if it’s cold outside. You can save by turning down the thermostat. Each degree you lower the thermostat can add up to about 3 percent in energy savings. Investing in caulking, spray foam and insulation can also help keep the heat inside where it belongs.• Holiday company can lead to increased energy use for cooking, hot water for extra showers, baths and laundry. Electronics and appliances may be used more too.Holiday Lights