Total Energy Costs to Cook for 12 Thanksgiving Guests: Under $2

JACKSON, Mich., Nov. 18, 2016 – Consumers Energy is adding reasons to smile this festive Thanksgiving -- calculations showing good value for the energy it takes to cook a traditional feast for 12 guests. 

“We take pride in the tradition of Michigan families gathering around holiday feasts cooked with energy provided by Consumers Energy,” said Brian Rich, Consumers Energy’s senior vice president of customer experience. “It’s heartwarming to think about families and friends dining on many of the same foods as their forefathers, and enjoying good energy value that Consumers Energy has been providing Michigan residents for 130 years.” 

Including the energy to roast an 18-pound turkey four hours, it costs 43 cents to cook an entire Thanksgiving meal for 12 guests using a natural gas oven and stove, or $1.81 using an electric oven and stove. 

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

* Roast stuffed turkey: 27 cents in a natural gas oven; $1.12 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; 14 cents in an electric oven. 

* Vegetable casserole: 3 cents in a natural gas oven; 14 cents in an electric oven. 

* Two baked pumpkin pies: 7 cents in a natural gas oven; 28 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. 

Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.7 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.