Save Energy in the Kitchen
With energy costs soaring to record highs, people everywhere are looking for new and innovative ways to save on energy costs. The kitchen with all of its accompanying gadgets is one of the worst rooms in the house for racking up those costs. Taking a fresh look at the power that could be saved in your kitchen is a fascinating process and one which could change the way you live your life in the future.
Start with the dishes!
Stop using that dishwasher for starters…they eat up a tonne of power. However if you can’t bear the thought of washing your dishes by hand, then at least turn of the heat-dry option. Let them air dry…it doesn’t take much longer and will reduce your power usage; also, wait until the machine is full to capacity before you turn it on…a half empty dishwasher is not great for your pocket or for the environment.
Freeze out those bills!
Unless you have a fancy eco fridge freezer, they will use up a lot of power and if you keep it only half full, it could be using up a lot more than it needs to. Even if you don’t usually have a fully stocked freezer, you can stock it with bread or large bags of frozen vegetables; this keeps the costs down believe it or not. Another good tip regarding your fridge freezer is to stop leaving the door open! Decide what you want, open the door and remove the item…allowing warm air inside the fridge means that the machine has to work hard to bring the temperature down again once you have closed it. Another tip is to remove the light bulb from inside the fridge…unless you’re very fond of foraging in the fridge after midnight there’s really no need for it at all! A well lit kitchen should provide enough light to see inside an ordinary fridge.
Cooking up some cash!
The cooker is another guilty party when it comes to power usage. When using the oven, set the timer so that you won’t need to keep opening the door to check progress…like the fridge, this wastes energy and the unit must find its optimum temperature again every time you open the door. If you have gas, then use the correct pan for each cooking job; a smaller pan for a small amount of food…and don’t forget to turn the heat down too.
Saving energy in the kitchen is simple once you get into the habit. Look also at the small gadgets you’re using, do you really need that juicer? What about the coffee percolator? Do they need to be plugged in all day? Unplug items which are not in use…this can also save power and power means money!
Looking at recycling can also help you to save money in the long term. Why not use the food scraps produced in your kitchen to start your own compost heap? After a season of careful recycling, you will have your very own compost supply which you can use to grow your own vegetables! This is a great way to save money and manage your food consumption well at the same time!
Dishwashers today are very energy efficient and water conserving and, when run fully loaded, are more eco-friendly than the way most people wash dishes by hand which is leaving the hot water on at full blast the entire time they are washing. That way of hand washing is VERY wasteful.
Thank you for the article Mr. Ant Langston. It is very helpful.