Are you making multiple recipes and have only one oven? If you’re baking something and the two recipes have a temperature difference of only 25-50 degrees, there is absolutely no need to bake them separately. Choose the lower temperature and bake away; it’ll achieve the same result, and you’ll speed up your cooking and save energy, too. Just a few minutes before the baking time is up, turn off the oven and leave the door closed. The residual heat is hot enough to keep cooking whatever you’re roasting, baking or toasting inside.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Here’s a feature your dishwasher may have that you don’t know about: a delay button. After you’ve finished dinner and loaded up the dishwasher, add the 6-hour delay function to your wash. Between dinnertime and before you go to bed, you can still add dishes and cups to the machine. But after midnight, the delay function will kick in and start the dishwasher. These are “off-peak” energy hours, which means you save money on your utility bill, and when you wake up, everything will be sparkling clean. This function is particularly important during hot summer months when air conditioning can strain the grid, but it’s a good habit to get into year-round.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If nobody is going to be at home during the day today, take the opportunity to check if your home has any unknown water leaks. Before you lock up the house, take a reading on your water meter that indicates how many gallons you’ve used. Then when you return home after a few hours, check the reading again. If the number is the same, you’re in good shape. But if the number has risen by a few gallons, you likely have a leak somewhere. Common culprits are leaky toilets or outdoor faucets, where drips can go unnoticed.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION