Cook Up Serious Savings: Four Ways to Save in the Kitchen

Home Hacks

Your kitchen uses a lot of energy. From the electric-powered appliances, to the bright overhead lights, electricity is almost always running in your kitchen. Especially these days, with folks staying home, cooking more, and maybe even turning the kitchen table into a home office.

Here’s the good news: Because your kitchen uses a lot of energy, it’s also the best place to save a lot of energy too!

Don’t know where to begin? Here are five ways to save energy in the kitchen.

Be smart about stove-top cooking.

There are a “range” of opportunities to save energy while cooking on your stove. First, don’t use pots or pans that are too big for your food. For example, boiling one egg in a massive pot wastes energy used to heat up the excess water.

Second, make sure your pot or pan size is right for the burner. Rule of thumb: If you can see the burner underneath the pot/pan, you’re losing energy. Finally, cover your pots and pans to trap heat and cook your food quicker. (This can save up to 3% energy per pan.)

Unplug your energy vampires.

“Energy vampires” are electronics that drain energy even when they’re turned off. The solution to energy vampires in the living room (like TVs, Blu-rays and video game systems) is an ADVANCED power strip, but it’s a little more complicated in the kitchen where everything is spread out.

Your best bet? Unplug electronics when you’re not using them. If the device has a blinking light or clock when it’s turned off, it’s an energy vampire. So save energy by turning off your lights and unplugging coffee makers, toasters, and especially countertop microwaves.

Ditch your dinosaur dishwasher.

Dinosaur dishwashers (i.e. pre-1995) can use up to 10 gallons per cycle, which consumes more water and the energy used to heat it. While you can be proud you’ve kept your dishwasher going, ditch the dinosaur and switch to an ENERGY STAR®-certified dishwasher, which uses 12% less energy and 50% less water.

Save even more by only running your dishwasher when it’s full.

Cool your fridge’s energy use.

You can’t unplug your fridge, or at least it would be a really bad idea. Your fridge works 24/7 to keep your food cool and your family safe, but to make it more energy efficient, remember to keep it well stocked. The more items you have, the less energy it takes to cool them!

Have a spare fridge still in use in the garage? Make sure it’s full and ENERGY STAR®-certified. If not, consider consolidating items and pulling the plug so you’re not consuming a lot of energy just to cool a few drinks.

Flip your fridge.

Has your fridge been around since the mid 1990s or longer? Flip your fridge and replace it with a new ENERGY STAR®-certified model. We’ll also help you out, with rebates on many of the most popular models. 

Follow these easy, energy-saving tips in your kitchen and you’ll notice a big difference in your household’s energy use. Go beyond the kitchen and discover more household energy-saving tips and rebates