Over a quarter of the average UK home’s energy use comes from the kitchen. Roughly 13.8% of electricity demand comes from cooking. A further 16.8% is used on cooling or freezing. Whilst your kitchen includes many appliances that can’t be turned off to save energy, there are many small things you can change to help to make your kitchen more energy efficient in the long run!
Energy efficient lighting
As the dark nights creep in, using the lights in your home becomes a necessity. There are a few ways you can lower your energy consumption with your lighting. The first and easiest method is simply turning your lights off when you are not using them.
The second option is to switch to LED bulbs. LED bulbs waste a lot less energy, capable of turning 70% of their energy into light rather than wasting a lot of energy on heat. To replace a standard 40W incandescent, you would only need a 6W LED bulb to produce the same amount of light!
Pick a size that suits you
Whilst kitchen appliances have become more energy efficient over time, the average size of these appliances have grown, sometimes cancelling out the energy improvements. Whilst larger appliances are a necessity for some, a smaller appliance is perfect for those who live alone and want to save on their energy bills.
Saving energy when you cook
Like every element in your kitchen, there are a number of ways to help you save energy when you are cooking. If you are heating small amounts of food, using a microwave is far more energy efficient than your electric or gas hob. However, if you need to use your hob, there are still plenty of options to save you energy:
- Use your kettle to boil water and transfer it to your pot rather than boiling on the hob
- Use the correct amount of water
- Keep a lid on your pots and pans
- Turn off the heat a few minutes before you finish cooking, the hob will still be warm and will continue to cook your food
When using the oven, use the glass window to check on your food if you can. Opening the oven door and letting out the hot air means your oven has to work harder to bring the temperature back up.
Leaving appliances on standby
Like leaving the lights on, keeping your appliances on standby uses a lot of energy. Whilst it is unavoidable keeping your fridge and freezer on, you can turn the rest off until you need them again.
Choose energy efficient appliances
Finally, one of the best things you can do to save energy is buying energy efficient appliances. Luckily it is very easy to find out how energy efficient appliances are thanks to the UK’s handy rating system. Most appliances will come with a label, highlighting how energy efficient they are with ratings from A (very good) to G (very bad).
For more advice on how to make your kitchen more energy efficient, contact us! You can do so on the Torbitts website, where you will also find expert advice and more details on our kitchen design service.