What do the holidays and our national energy policy have in common? According to Wendell Cox, perhaps more than you think.

Energy demand in the United States typically increases during the holiday season. Just think of every holiday celebration you attend—ovens and other kitchen appliances working overtime, not to mention dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers. And that’s just inside the house. The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's are the most heavily traveled of the year—that's a lot of energy use.

The U.S. government predicts that traditional sources of energy—coal, oil and natural gas—will continue to meet the majority of our energy needs well into the future. When the holiday cheer ends and a new Congress and president turn their attention to energy, they must recognize the need for policies that promote all forms of energy and utilize America’s vast resources.

While practicing and conservation are not the whole answer to meeting growing energy demand, it is part of it. Below, please find some holiday energy efficiency tips that will help you make the most of your energy use this holiday season.

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Holiday Travel Tips
(Source: EnergyTomorrow.org Fuel Saving Tips)

• Keep your tires properly inflated. Underinflated tires can decrease fuel economy by up to one mile per gallon.
• Slow down. The faster you drive, the more gasoline your car uses. Driving at 55 miles per hour rather than 65 miles per hour reduces fuel economy by about two miles per gallon.

• Avoid jackrabbit starts. Abrupt starts require about twice as much gasoline as gradual starts.
• Pace your driving. Unnecessary speedups, slowdowns and stops can decrease fuel economy by up to two miles per gallon. Stay alert and drive steadily, not erratically. Keep a reasonable, safe distance from the car ahead of you and anticipate traffic conditions.

Play the Road Trip game to get more travel tips and learn about fuel efficiency.

Cooking Tips
(Source: California Energy Commission)

• Holiday ham and turkey are usually roasted for hours. Since it's a long, slow cook, there is no need to preheat your oven, even when the recipe suggests it. In fact, unless you're baking breads or pastries, you may not need to preheat the oven at all.
• Don't open the oven door to sneak a peek at what is cooking inside. Instead, use the oven light to check the cooking status through the oven window. Opening the oven door can lower the oven temperature by as much as 25 degrees, which increases cooking time and wastes energy.

• As long as your oven is on, cook several holiday favorites at the same time.
• When using your stove, 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. Believe it or not, a six-inch pan on an eight-inch burner will waste over 40 percent of the energy!

How to Save Electricity Used by Holiday Lights
(Source: Alliance to Save Energy)

• Turn off your holiday lights before you go to bed, or consider installing timers to reduce the amount of time your holiday lights are on. Just 10 strands lit for 13 hours a day can add more than $50 to a monthly energy bill.

• Use energy-efficient LED holiday lights, which use 10 percent of the energy of mini lights.

Tips to Save Energy with Electronics
(Source: Department of Energy)

• In the average home, 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.

• For new holiday electronics gifts, unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.