How Efficent are your kitchen appliances? Check out our blog for our top 10 energy saving tips.

10 Top Tips to Save Energy in the Kitchen

When you buy a new home appliance you normally think about the brand, colour, style and how it would complement your kitchen. However, an important factor to consider is the energy efficiency of the appliance. You can find this by looking at its energy label. This label tells you how much energy the product is consuming, and it enables you to compare other appliances and find out which uses the lowest amount of energy for the size of the appliance.

What does the energy efficient label mean?

Energy efficient labels tell you how much energy the appliance uses on average usage based on their size. The rating scale is from A – G, with A being the most energy-efficient and G being the lowest. Old appliances may have a slightly different scale with A+++ being the highest efficiency and G being the least.

This means that you can compare two similar products and find out which would be the most energy-efficient. Therefore, reducing your carbon footprint and saving you money.

Kitchen Energies

Most home appliances are found in the kitchen. The heart of the home. A place to meet and greet, eat, cook, and clean. It’s where most of the household energy is used.

According to the Energy Savings Trust, on average cooking accounts for 13.8% of electricity powered in UK households. 16.8% of electricity goes to cooling or freezing food whilst 10% of electricity goes to fuelling wet appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers¹.

With energy prices soaring, it’s time to look closer at the energy usage in our kitchens.

So how can we become more energy efficient?

10 top tips to save energy in your kitchen

1. Consider upgrading appliances to a more energy-efficient version

How old is your washing machine and freezer?

It's worth considering the age of your current appliances and whether it's time to upgrade them to energy-efficient versions.

It may sound economical and thrifty to keep old appliances but what is the actual cost of running them? With modern improved technology and tighter energy restriction laws, home appliances are now designed to not only have a significantly higher performance level but also run with greater energy efficiency. This means that you save money on energy bills and reduce your household carbon emissions. By comparing the energy efficiency label of your old appliances with modern versions, it is easy to see which appliances are drawing the most energy.

2. Choose the right size product to suit your needs

It is important to consider what the product is intended for as size matters when comparing energy efficiencies. Smaller appliances in general will use less energy in comparison to larger versions. However, a larger household may need a bigger washing machine compared to a smaller family.

Also, two different-sized appliances could have the same energy rating but use different amounts of energy as it’s relative to the size of the product.

3. Only use what you need

When boiling a kettle, how often do you fill it up only to use a small amount? Think about how much water you would need beforehand or look into our boiling taps where you can have normal, cold, boiling, and sparkling water in one tap on demand. Saving you time, and energy and reducing plastic waste.

4. Turn it off!

When left on standby, appliances still drain energy. According to the Energy Saving Trust, an average UK household spends £65 yearly on fuelling appliances left on standby². Turning off appliances by the plug when not in use, will stop unnecessary energy usage and reduce your energy bills. Appliances like fridges and freezers, however, do need to be left on 24/7, so upgrading to an energy-efficient version is well worth it.

5. Use eco settings

Many appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, have eco settings that run on a lower energy mode. Therefore, eco settings use less water and lower temperatures but still deliver great results, saving you money in water and energy bills.

6. Minimise usage at peak times

It may be worth checking out your energy provider's peak times. During peak hours, when power demands are at its highest, it may cost you more to run appliances. Some energy providers offer cheaper tariffs during off-peak hours when there's less demand.

7. Freeze energy wastage

There are several ways in which you can save energy whilst using your fridge and freezer:

-If your freezer is not frost free make sure you defrost it regularly

-Allow food to cool before storing it

-Limit the time the fridge/freezer doors are open

-Leave adequate between the back wall of the fridge to ensure airflow

8. Consider your cooking methods

- When using the oven, instead of opening the oven to check if the food is ready, look through the glass doors. Energy is lost when you open the doors. It may also cause your baking to flop!

- Keep pot lids on, your food will cook quicker and use less energy.

- Switching off the stove a couple of minutes before your food is fully cooked, it will still cook with the lid closed. Turning off the oven ten minutes earlier would also save energy as ovens generally retain heat for longer.

9. Homecooked ready meals

Cooking in batches, eating what you need, and freezing portions will save you time and energy rather than cooking different meals daily. Defrosting food naturally overnight instead of defrosting in the microwave will also reduce heating time and unnecessary energy usage.

10. Use a steamer

If you have two dishes to cook, why not try steaming the vegetables on top of the pot instead of using two hobs? This will minimise your energy output and help capture more of those vital vitamins.

Want more information about finding energy-efficient appliances and reducing your energy bills? Pop into Cooper's Home Appliances where our lovely staff are ready to help!