An easy recipe for saving energy in the kitchen

With the cost of living increasing, managing energy usage is important to keep utility bills low.

For example, consider the following graph showing some of the most energy-guzzling appliances in the home. Many of these are found in the kitchen.

(data for this graph is from Carbon Footprint).

As the average kitchen contains many appliances that consume large amounts of energy, we should try and use them more efficiently.

Water-using appliances

This includes washing machines and dishwashers.

These devices use a considerable amount of energy to heat up water. So, try and select the Eco modes that use a lower temperature where possible. Reserve the higher temperature settings when washing heavily-soiled clothing.

Many detergents out there work just as well at lower temperatures for washing clothes.

Also don’t use your washing machine when the load is only half full. Instead, wait until you have close to a full load.

Over time this will cut down on the number of wash cycles carried out and help bring down electricity costs. This will also reduce laundry detergents expenses over time.

The same goes for using a tumble dryer – wait until you have a full load before switching it on.

The fridge freezer

A fridge-freezer is an essential component to your kitchen. While it needs to stay on all the time to provide a safe temperature for your food, follow these steps to make sure it remains efficient.

Try not overload your fridge with more food that it is designed for.

If the refrigerator is completely full up, the harder it will have to work and the more power it will draw to maintain a constant temperature.

Also, wait for any freshly cooked food to cool down completely before placing into the fridge-freezer.

This is because placing hot food into the fridge-freezer makes food items close by get warm too. The refrigerator will then have to consume more energy to bring down the internal fridge temperature to a safer level.

Make sure the back of the fridge is kept clean and free of dust. This will help stop thick dust from accumulating on the condenser coils found at the back of the fridge. Cleaner coils will mean improved heat transfer and can help improve the energy efficiency of the appliance.

The microwave

Microwaves are more efficient at heating food compared to using an oven as they don’t heat the air inside.

Try and combine the use of a microwave with your cooking if you can.

For example, when cooking a jacket potato, pre-cook it in a microwave first and then place it in the oven.

This will help keep oven energy usage low as the oven is used for a shorter period of time. Another benefit is that the jacket potato will be ready to eat quicker and taste better!

Cooking on the hob

When cooking on the hob, ensure you choose the right sized pan. Choosing a pan that is larger than required will mean using more heat energy than necessary.

Moreover, put a lid on the pan to help water boil quicker. Once boiling, don’t forget to lower the heat on the hob and bring it to a simmer. A simmer requires a less heat energy compared to a rolling boil.