Energy costs are skyrocketing, and while there may be a glimmer of hope on the very, very, very distant horizon, we must all accept that energy conservation is the new normal, and we must maximize our energy usage to keep those bills as low as possible.
Because the kitchen is an area where we use a lot of energy, here are my top five tips for keeping my energy bills as low as possible.
Instead of using the oven, buy or use a slow cooker or air fryer. I'm sure this isn't breaking news to you; it's been well covered in the past, but it works, so I'm mentioning it! A slow cooker or air fryer (which uses more energy but cooks faster than a slow cooker, so it evens out) uses far less energy than a conventional oven, especially for smaller amounts of cooking. If you can completely fill the oven, go for it; it makes sense to use it if you use the heat for a variety of things, but quick nuggets and chips will be far faster and cheaper done in the air fryer.
Using a lid on your saucepans is one of the best ways to save energy! The amount of energy required to bring water or food to a high temperature is enormous. Cover the top with a lid, plate, or even foil to prevent heat from escaping and speed up the heating process. You wouldn't open all of your car's windows if you were trying to heat it up properly; the same principle applies here; close the windows, and the car warms up faster!
Don't turn on the oven! Unless you're making pastry, cakes, or anything that requires a hot oven, like Yorkshire puddings, you don't need to heat the oven; simply add a few minutes to the end of the cooking time. It is simply a waste of energy. If you must preheat it, put something in the oven while it heats up to ensure that you are utilizing that energy.
Reduce the power to the gas or electric burner. You won't have to blast your saucepans with as much energy if you use the lids. Sometimes you need the burners on high to brown something off, but you don't need them on full blast all the time. Watch your smart meter the next time you cook to see the difference in energy use between a half-on and a full-on burner; I guarantee you'll stop using them full blast after that!
Last but not least, ensure that anything you put in the fridge or freezer is cold. If you put something hot or even warm in the fridge/freezer, it raises the temperature, and your appliance goes into panic mode and increases its power usage to try and bring the temperature down, which can be expensive, especially if the hot item continues to heat the appliance up, and it just keeps on working hard until it's cold again, which could take hours!
I hope these tips help! They save me a fair amount of money over the year.
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