Holiday savings in the kitchen
The holiday season leads to spending more time in the kitchen. Let’s start with cooking your meal.
Your electric oven is typically the highest-wattage appliance in the kitchen. Using an average 3,000-watt oven costs 48 cents per hour, according to the United States Energy Information Administration. That means four hours for making a special meal costs less than $2 of electricity. While that may not seem like a big deal, operating your oven for four hours every day amounts to $700 a year.
Using smaller appliances instead of your oven can help you save. A slow cooker uses significantly less wattage than an electric, so you can use a slow cooker for a longer period and still use less energy.
Opt for your microwave or toaster oven to reheat or cook smaller items. The microwave uses much less energy than the oven, and a toaster oven uses about half the energy of a conventional oven, according to Energy Star.
When cooking on the stovetop, match the pot or pan size to the burner. Lids help your pots retain heat, which cooks food faster and wastes less heat. Keep your stovetop clean to ensure the appliance heats evenly.
Refrigeration savings
Refrigerator door gaskets should make a tight seal to keep in cold air. Make sure you clean and maintain them or replace them if necessary. Don’t let frost build up in the freezer, which can decrease efficiency.
Putting hot food in the refrigerator uses more energy to cool it, so let food cool for about 30 minutes first. Perishable food should be refrigerated within two hours after it is cooked.
Setting your refrigerator colder than needed wastes energy. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends 37 degrees for the refrigerator and zero degrees for the freezer.
AFTER THE MEAL
When it comes to cleanup, run full loads of dishes in the dishwasher, being careful not to block any moving parts. Use eco mode if your dishwasher has that setting. If you are in the market for a dishwasher or other new appliance, select an Energy Star model.
