Holiday cooking

When baking, set the oven dial at the exact temperature you intend to use. The oven won't heat up any faster at a higher setting.
Don't preheat the oven unless the recipe calls for it specifically.
Don't open the oven door unnecessarily. Every time you do, the temperature drops about 25-30 degrees, and more energy is used to generate the desired level of heat.
Don't preheat your oven for long cooking foods, and turn off the oven 15 minutes prior to completion.
Use the lowest possible heat setting to cook foods on top of the range. Match the pot to the size of the burner.
When you can, use the range top or microwave oven because they use less energy than a conventional oven.
Use lids on pots and pans on the stove to prevent heat loss.
When baking, fill the oven with as many items as can be cooked at one time. Bake double or triple batches of recipes at one time to save energy.
Use glass baking dishes in the oven when possible. Glass retains heat better than other materials, so it helps food cook faster, and you can reduce oven temperature by about 25 degrees.
If you are on SRP's optional Time-of-Use price plan, do your baking during off-peak hours. You can relax on Christmas and New Year's day -- both are off-peak periods.
Keep the refrigerator full, but not overcrowded. Empty or nearly empty refrigerators do not operate efficiently.
Never attempt to use an oven as a source of home heating; doing so creates a safety hazard.