Energy Costs to Cook Thanksgiving Meal Up to 25% Lower in 2015

JACKSON, Mich., Nov. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy is pleased to offer lower energy costs this year to cook a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.      

"Consumers Energy is thankful to be a part of holiday celebrations across the state as warm Thanksgiving memories are being made, and we are committed to providing many more generations of Michigan families with reliable, affordable energy in all seasons," said Garrick Rochow, Consumers Energy's vice president and chief customer officer.

It costs 43 cents to cook an entire Thanksgiving meal for 12 guests using a natural gas oven and stove, or $1.70 using an electric oven and stove. That's 4 percent less to cook with electricity than last year, and a savings of 25 percent to cook with natural gas.

Here is the breakdown of energy costs for helping to create priceless memories around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends:

• Roast stuffed turkey: 28 cents in a natural gas oven; $1.05 in an electric oven.
• Large pan of mashed potatoes: 2 cents on a natural gas stove; 9 cents on an electric stove.
• Giblet gravy cooked on the stove: Less than 1 cent using natural gas; 4 cents using electricity.
• Homemade baked dinner rolls: 3 cents in a natural gas oven; 13 cents in an electric oven.
• Vegetable casserole: 3 cents in a natural gas oven; 13 cents in an electric oven.
• Two baked pumpkin pies: 7 cents in a natural gas oven; 26 cents in an electric oven.

Consumers Energy offers these tips to get even more energy value while cooking:

• Use glass and ceramic dishes. They hold heat well and allow you to lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
• Keep the oven door closed. The temperature drops 25 to 75 degrees each time the oven door is opened, so monitor cooking time and peek through the oven window, if possible, to check on your food.
• Use your microwave for defrosting and cooking small portions.
• Plan to bake more than one dish or cook an entire meal in the oven to save energy.
• Using roasting bags reduces cooking time in the oven by nearly half.

Helping Michigan save energy is a Promise from Consumers Energy. For more ways to save on energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com/energyanswers.  

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com.

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SOURCE Consumers Energy

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