Along with cooking, baking, and getting those spare rooms ready for visitors many of us also have savings on our mind–energy savings, that is. In a tough economy, even a little bit can make a difference. Here are a few tips provided by Edison Electric Institute.

• When cooking, make sure you match the pan to the burner size. Keeping the pan centered over the heat helps with even cooking, too.
• Use the “lids-on” approach to cooking. Tightly fitted lids help keep heat within pots and pans, permitting the use of lower temperature settings and shorter cooking times.
• Go ahead–use the microwave oven whenever possible. Microwaves draw less than half the power of your regular oven, and they cook for a much shorter period of time.
• Keep the range’s oven door closed while cooking–25 to 50 degrees of heat are lost each time someone peeks.
• Preheat the oven only when called for, and then for only 10 minutes maximum.
• Check your refrigerator’s temperature by using a thermometer. The temperature setting should be 37° F – 40° F, and the freezer should be 0° F – 5°.
• Keep the fridge as full as possible.
• Use the dishwasher instead of hand washing dishes–it’s actually more energy-efficient. Wash only full loads, and select the air-drying feature if you have one. 

For more tips, see some of these stories:

Tips for a Greener Thanksgiving

Tips for Making Great Mashed Potatoes

Tips for Making Holiday Chutney

And check out more of the tips from the Test Kitchens of The Food Channel in this episode of SPILL (debuting November 22).