Lower Electric Bill – Electricity Saving Tips for the Kitchen
Although not a big energy consumer by itself, cooking offers few electricity saving tips of its own. So why not further lower electric bill while you’re at it?
Similar to Lighting and Refrigeration, as all of the heat produced by cooking stays inside your home, each dollar saved on cooking will double itself with air-conditioning savings.
Here’s how to further lower electric bill:
Don’t Boil Full KettleUnless you are making coffee for many people, boil just the amount of water you need.
Use Toaster Instead of OvenWhen able, cook or re-heat in the toaster instead of the oven. The toaster is smaller’ and consumes less energy.
As all of the oven’s heat stays within the house, you will also save a lot on A/C, since you will need much less A/C when using a toaster.
Don’t Pre-Heat the OvenUnless the recipe specifically requires it, just put the dish in and turn the oven on.
Not only have you used less electricity/gas, you will use need less A/C (in the summer), since all the heat produced by the oven goes stays indoor.
Turn it OffWhen using either Toaster or Oven – turn it off 5-10 minutes before the cooking is done. It will retain enough heat to finish the cooking, and you will save energy.
Keep the Oven’s Door ClosedMake sure the oven’s inner light is in good condition, and try check on the food with the door closed.
Every time you open the door a lot of heat escapes from the oven directly into your home.
Defrost Food Prior to Baking ItDefrosting food prior to baking or microwaving it will use about 30% less energy than if you bake it while it is still frozen.
Defrosting food is best done by putting it in the refrigerator well in advance. Slow defrosting is not only better fro your food. It will also lower your electric bill as the frozen food helps cooling the refrigerator, making it use less electricity.
Lid it!When boiling water or cooking, put the lid on whenever possible. This maintains high temperature in the pot, enabling you to lower the heat and save Gas/Electricity.
As much as 2/3 of the energy is lost while cooking without a lid!
Pressure Cook it!Certain food, especially beans but not only, require a long cooking time. Using a pressure cooker reduces this time considerably, saving you electricity.
If you don’t own a Pressure Cooker, consider getting one. Both Amazon and eBay
have large selection to choose from.
Cleaning the OvenIf you plane to clean the oven, give it a head start and engage the self-cleaning cycle right after you’re done baking.
This will save electricity as the self-cleaning cycle is very power consuming.
There are many more ways to lower electric bill and save both energy and money. Click here to go back to my Energy Conservation Tips page and learn how to save money on electricity.