Microwaves, Kill-A-Watts and Grillin’: The Top Tips From My Project Envolve Journey

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of PPL Electric Utilities. All opinions expressed in this post and blog are my own. #ProjectEnvolve #GetEnvolved

Has the past year been one of the craziest years of our lives? Yes. We found out just a few months ago that we’re expecting our second child (it’ll be a boy!). We’re also in the middle of the insane process of selling our house, followed by the hopefully less insane process of buying a new one.

Amidst all of that (mostly happy) madness has been one of the energy-savingest years in recent memory. I owe that savings to the folks at Project Envolve, which is sponsored by PPL Electric Utilities. They chose me as one of the lucky bloggers to bring you all sorts of energy-savings tips in a series of blog entries over the past 12 months, and that series ends with a bang today.

But it’s not all sadness. Summer is almost here, and that’s always a good thing, right? And, so, with summer upon us, here’s a look back at the top lessons from all nine of my previous Project Envolve missions. Enjoy, and be sure to visit the Project Envolve website or the PPL Electric Utilities’ Pinterest boards for more energy-saving tips!

1. Yes, you really can cook an entire day’s worth of meals in your microwave. Real meals, too, like cinnamon rolls and Spinach, Chickpea and Feta Pasta (below). (Source: “Giving My Oven the Day Off: One Day, One Microwave, Four Meals”)

2. Energy savings during the summer is easier than you think. Two easy energy-saving tips: Keep the temperature in the mid-70s (not need to keep it at a chilly 70 degrees) and keep your AC clean! (Source: “Dear Hubby: Please Read These Energy Saving Summer Tips”)

3. Just as the microwave can be used to cook an entire day’s worth of meals, so can your grill. We made breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert using nothing by the flame-broiled power of our Weber. Breakfast was the delish Avocados with Eggs you see below. (Source: “One Day of Grilling: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Dessert”)

4. Saving electricity while you’re on vacation might seem easy, but you’re probably not doing everything you can. Like setting your water heater to “Vacation” mode and unplugging things like the TV, microwave and coffee maker. (Source: “Six Ways to Save Electricity (and Money!) While on Vacation”)

5. You can save energy during the summer, and you can also saving energy during the cold winter months. Do this right now: Check your furnace filter and replace it if it’s dirty. Then send yourself a reminder to do that at least every other month. (Source: “I’m Dreaming of an Energy-Efficient Christmas”)

6. Speaking of savings during the Christmas season, it really is possible to decorate smarter and save money on all that Yuletide cheer. My #1 tip: Switch to LED lights. They use 90 percent less energy and last 10 times longer! (Source: “Have a Merry Energy-Efficient Christmas”)

7. Those Kill-A-Watt meters that tell you how much energy your electronic devices use (and how much you’ll save by using them less often) are one of the coolest gadgets ever invented. (Source: “How to Catch Your Breath After a Crazy Holiday Season”)

8. I said it in tip #3 and I’ll say it again here: Firing up your grill more often is a fantastic idea for four reasons: 1. It won’t overheat your home like an oven will, 2. It’ll save electricity (again, no oven), 3. Your husband will love it and will offer to do all the cooking (score!), and 4. The food – like chicken kebabs below — will taste great! (Source: “Five Things You’ll Want to Add to Your Spring Cleaning Checklist”)