Grazing board with artistically strewn almonds and cheeses. Tick. Your favourite plates and wine glasses meticulously laid out. Tick. Trendy citrus cocktail mixed. Tick. Hot and stuffy home to make your guests feel claustrophobic...
When you’re hosting a dinner party, no one wants to feel like they’re socialising in a sauna.
Yet as the weather warms up, so do our homes, and keeping them cool without breaking the budget on energy consumption is a tough balance to strike.
We look at ways that you can host an unforgettable party that will impress your guests and still maintain energy efficiency in the process.
Air-conditioning: friend or foe?
Ever cranked the air-conditioning to Antarctic conditions all day, ignoring the nagging thought that it could seriously impact your energy bill? This mindset quickly changes when said bill is in our hands and burning into your bank account.
Heating and cooling costs account for around 18 per cent of an average residential energy bill.
When it comes to your next dinner party, the experts at Synergy recommend setting a timer on your machine for 24C 15 minutes before your guests arrive, and keeping the windows and doors closed to shut the cool air in. Or if your party is kicking off outside, turn it off completely.
For every degree under this, you could be adding up to 10 per cent on your cooling costs, which is money much better spent on wining and dining your guests or impressing them with home-made sundaes constructed with Chi Cho gelato goodness.
You can make friends with salad
Instead of slaving away over the hotplate in the kitchen, why not whip up a salad or mini morsels that don’t involve any cooking? This saves time, energy, heat and of course, sweat and outfit changes.
Rocket, beetroot, goat cheese and pine nuts are a match made in salad heaven, or a simple ceviche with fresh fish delicately cooked with citrus and scattered with micro-herbs will give the illusion that you’re a serious master chef.
The quintessential party addition – the grazing board – filled with cheeses, figs, crusty bread, dips and crackers is a go-to for a reason – who doesn’t like to pick away at delicious things? Plus there is no cooking involved.
Work out a window strategy
No, we don’t mean a strategic escape route should your guests take over your carefully planned playlist to begin belting out karaoke classics.
The day of your party, ensure your blinds and windows are kept closed to keep the sunlight from heating your home.
If possible, invite your guests for a twilight feast rather than in the afternoon so, before their arrival, you’re able to open the windows and begin to let the cool breeze circulate.
Moving life outside
If it is one of Perth’s beloved balmy evenings, why not string up some fairy lights and move the party outside to save on the excess air-conditioning costs and inevitable spillages.
Create a station for drinks, placing them in large ice buckets, as time spent opening and closing the fridge makes it work harder to keep things cool, taking up extra energy.
By putting these simple tips into play at your next party you can ensure it will be a night your guests won’t forget, for all of the right reasons.
If you’d like to find out more about how you can save energy, go to Synergy and check out the online energy tool. You can use its range of functions to compare your energy use with similar houses in your area.
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