Kitchens are one of the most energy-intensive spaces in any home. Out of the 7.4 kWh of electricity consumed per day by the average UK household, around 2- 3 kWh of that is in the kitchen alone.
Refrigerating and freezing food, cooking meals and washing clothes are some of the biggest drains of energy.
The good news is, there are many different ways to reduce your energy consumption and in turn, lower your energy bills. From choosing energy efficient appliances to improved cooking methods, let’s see how we can save energy in the kitchen….
Investing in energy efficient appliances should be top of the list when it comes to reducing energy consumption in the kitchen.
Appliances have an energy rating between A and G, those with an A rating are the most energy efficient and will save you the most money in the long run.
The bigger the appliance, the lower it’s efficiency so make sure you choose an appliance that suits the size of your needs.
Induction stoves heat cookware using electromagnetic energy. Yes, they can be a bit more expensive to purchase, however in the long-term, they’re a very good investment.
Adopting smarter cooking habits can save you a lot of energy when cooking your meals.
Choose pots and pans that match the size of your burner. Putting a small pan on a larger burner will waste a lot of energy. For optimal heat retention, use copper bottomed, stainless steel or cast-iron cookware and ceramic or oven-safe glass dishes as they retain heat better than metal.
To reduce heat loss and speed up cooking times, cover your pans with a lid to retain the heat.
Using large ovens to cook smaller meals is an inefficient way of cooking. Use microwaves and air fryers where possible.
Planning your meals and batch cooking minimises the amount of times that you need to use your appliances and therefore, reduces your energy consumption. Pressure cookers also take advantage of residual heat so can further save energy and reduce the amount you need to use larger appliances.
Don’t preheat your oven for too long before cooking and limit the amount of times you open the oven door mid cooking. Opening the door frequently will allow heat to escape from the oven and it takes time to heat back up again - using more energy.
Knowing how to use your fridge and freezer correctly and efficiently can save you a lot in wasted energy.
This enables the fan to work effectively regulating the temperature within the appliance.
This keeps your appliance free from ice build up and will help maintain its efficiency.
A full fridge holds the cold better than an empty one so keeping your fridge stocked up as much as possible will reduce how hard the appliance has to work and will save energy.
Leaving the fridge or freezer door open for too long allows the cold doesn’t escape and the appliance has to work harder, using more energy to cool down again.
If you put warm food in a fridge or freezer, it can raise the overall temperature which means the appliance has to work harder to restore the optimal temperature.
If used correctly, a dishwasher can be more energy efficient that washing by hand!
Reduce the amount of times you need to use your dishwasher by making sure it is fully loaded before turning on.
You can reduce the length of the cycle by dropping the prewash cycle, a dishwasher can handle dirty dishes.
Switch to using eco settings on your dishwasher and let dishes air-dry if you’re not in a hurry for them.
Many kitchen appliances still use power, even when they’re running on standby.
Unplug all small kitchen appliances when they’re not in use as they’re still using energy,
These can cut power to several appliances all at once, saving time and energy.
As simple as it sounds, turn off the lights if you’re not in the kitchen, even if you’ve got food cooking. If you’re not in the kitchen, you don’t need the lights.
15% of a homes electrical consumption is due to lighting. With these few small changes, you can start making some savings.
LED lights consume 75% less energy that incandescent lighting so switch to save!
Invest in dimmable or motion sensor lighting for more control over having your lights on.
Saving energy in the kitchen doesn’t require drastic changes, just small tweaks and better habits is all it takes.
Every little change you make, from selecting energy efficient appliances to adjusting cooking techniques will add up over time resulting in notable savings and also, help to make your home more eco friendly.
E (Gas and Electricity) is here to help and assist you. Do not hesitate to call or contact us if you need further clarification on these features. visit www.e.org/switching-to-us.
Or, if you're already with us and you'd like to upgrade to a smart meter, please use the contact us form.