Strive for an energy-efficient holiday season.

Don't let your energy bills contribute to your post-holiday blues. With the intoxicating excess of the holiday season looming, the Alliance to Save Energy offers a few tongue-in-cheek and serious tips to help reduce the stress and expense of the holidays:

* Though halogen torchiere lamps can get hot enough to roast chestnuts, they are a potential fire hazard and proven energy guzzlers. Give yourself an early holiday present this year by trading in your halogen torchiere for a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) torchiere for a brighter, thriftier, and safer holiday season.

* Close the chimney flue when (a) you're not expecting Santa or (b) you're not burning a fire. Leaving it open is like punching a footsquare hole in your roof, through which money flows out into the cold.

* Spin a Chanukah dreidel; it takes NO energy.

* Put your holiday lights on a timer to reduce costs, remove the daily burden of turning them on and off yourself, and prevent leaving them on all night or during the daylight hours.

* Pay the local kids to shovel your driveway. Reward their work ethic. They, no doubt, could use the money and you can cut back on using the smog-producing, gas-guzzling snow-blower for a day.

* Turn off those unnecessary lights and read by the flames of the Chanukah Menorah! It may be tough on the first day with only one candle, but by the eighth you can read a whole novel.

* Cut back on the baked fruitcake production. The fruitcake assembly line not only wastes time but also energy through lights, oven, and other appliances. Besides, you may think they make the perfect gift but (more often than not) they make the perfect doorstop.

* Whether you're looking for that last stocking stuffer or a major gift, think energy efficient. For major gifts, such as computers, televisions, and appliances, look for the Energy Star label, the symbol for energy efficiency. When shopping for the kids, remember there's nothing wrong with gifts that are powered by the mind and imagination rather than batteries or electricity.

* Strap on those cross-country skies or roller blades (weather permitting) or ride your bike and enjoy the neighborhood holiday decorations. Not only is it a great way to shed those extra holiday pounds, it's more environmentally friendly than listening to Celine Dion's holiday album in the family SUV.

* Dread getting out of bed to a cold house Christmas morning to open presents left by Santa under the tree? A programmable thermostat will automatically coordinate your home temperature with your daily and weekend patterns to increase comfort and monetary savings.

* In the spirit of Kwanzaa--the African-American spiritual week of remembering, reassessing, recommitting, rewarding, and rejoicing--spend time reassessing your power consumption, recommitting to energy-efficient practices, and rejoicing in the savings.

* Although frost on windows is quaint in "A Christmas Story," it isn't comfortable in your own home. Replacing single-paned frost-covered windows with energy-efficient ones can dramatically improve your comfort, add beauty to your home, and save money during and after the holiday season.

* Unplug the video games and turn off the millionth broadcast of "It's A Wonderful Life" or sitcom on Christmas Eve--read your favorite holiday story instead. Your children may appreciate your attention and time, and you will be saving energy in the process.

* Instead of leaving your door open to carolers and losing all that precious heat and energy, pull on your parka and join in the fun. It's a great way to meet your neighbors and an opportunity to score some free eggnog as well.

* Remember to take down your Christmas lights before Valentine's Day[ Your neighbors may not want to be reminded of their post-holiday blues and sky-high credit card balances every time they drive by your home.

* Make a New Year's Resolution that can actually keep itself! Cut your monthly energy bills by 30 percent by replacing old equipment in your home with state-of-the-art Energy Star products and getting started on those energy-efficient home improvements you've been putting off all year. And then relax while energy-efficient products do the work for you.

Additional energy-efficiency tips can be found by visiting the Alliance's animated, interactive consumer web site at www.ase.org/consumer. Those who prefer the printed word can obtain a booklet, Power$mart: Easy Tips to Save Money and the Planet, by sending a self-addressed, #10 envelope and $3 to: Power$mart, Alliance to Save Energy, P.O. Box 33939, Washington, DC 20033-0939. Both the web site and booklet demonstrate how today's smart energy-efficient technologies can cut home energy utility bills while increasing comfort and reducing needless air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

This article was provided by the Alliance to Save Energy, a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, economy, and national security.