Hosting guests? Here’s how to make sure ovens, fridges, and dishwashers survive the holiday rush. Oven: Run a self-clean a week before—not the day of. Fridge: Clear expired items and make room for trays. Dishwasher: Clean the filter so it can handle extra loads. Don’t let breakdowns ruin dinner—[get a pre-holiday appliance tune-up].

The Hidden Power Hogs Anything with a remote control, digital clock, light, or standby feature likely keeps sipping electricity 24/7. Common culprits include TVs, cable boxes, microwaves, gaming consoles, and phone chargers. The Impact of Phantom Load Phantom load is more than just a nuisance; it can significantly affect your monthly expenses. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that idle electricity use costs U.S. households over $19 billion per year . This stagg