How to Save Money by Conserving Energy in Your Kitchen

Save energy by covering your pots while you wait for water to boil.

There are many ways to save money by conserving energy in your kitchen. Using more energy-efficient appliances and lighting, sealing your home well and trying other smart tricks all add up to energy efficiencies that mean costs savings for you. Until it's time to replace older appliances with newer appliances -- today's models have much better energy-efficiency ratings -- there are several other things you can do to keep your kitchen energy use and your electric bills down.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Compact fluorescen lightbulbs

1. Use your toaster oven and microwave oven more often. They use far less energy than your larger electric stovetop/oven. EnergyStar reports that you can "reduce cooking energy by as much as 80 percent when using your microwave for small portions. This also helps save on a/c costs in summer, since less heat is generated when compared to using your stove or oven."

2. Cover your pots to help water boil faster and reduce heat waste. National Grid explains that cooking pasta without a lid on the pot uses up to three times as much energy as cooking it covered.

3. Wait to use your dishwasher until you have a full load to save water. However, do not overload the dishwasher or it will not wash efficiently. Use the air-dry option instead of the heat-dry setting.

4. Clean the coils on the back of your refrigerator frequently. This improves the efficiency of your refrigerator by 30 percent, according to the California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center. That savings will help lower your electric bill.

5. Cook with small pots on small burners and large pots on large burners when using your stove. This makes the best use of energy when you are cooking.

6. Repair any leaky faucets in the kitchen so you don't waste water.

7. Keep drinking water in a large pitcher in the refrigerator so you do not have to run the kitchen faucet every time you need a glass of water.

8. Make sure all kitchen air registers or floor vents are not blocked by furniture or other items so the air can circulate properly.

9. Check that your kitchen windows are sealed properly to reduce warm air coming in during summer and cold coming in during winter. Use storm windows in winter for additional protection.

10. Remember to turn off your kitchen lights when you're not using them.

References

• EnergyStar: Kitchen
• National Grid: Kitchen
• California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center: Refrigerators & Freezers