10 ways to save energy while cooking

Saving energy in the kitchen has never been easier. Follow our simple tips and tricks to help save money on your gas and electricity bills and you might even become a better chef in the process.

Don’t turn on the oven too soon.

Just a few minutes may be all you need to preheat your oven. You can also turn off the stove a few minutes early because the residual heat will keep cooking your food.

Use glass or ceramic bowls.

Ceramic Dish

They’re most efficient in the oven and mean you can lower your oven temperature.

Use the right ring for the right pot.

Use correct ring

There’s no need to heat up the largest ring when you’re using the smallest pan in the kitchen, or whack the heat up. Set your heat to the lowest setting that maintains boiling. Higher heat escapes round the side of the pot.

Keep appliances and pots/pans clean.

Keep pans clean

Heat transfers more efficiently across clean surfaces for heating and cooling.

Cook several dishes at once or in a row.

Batch cooking

This way you’ll reduce the energy your oven uses because it will spend less time heating up and cooling down. You can then refrigerate or freeze your extra meals and reheat in the microwave later.

Minimise the number of times you open the oven, refrigerator and freezer doors, or remove a lid from a pot.

Minimise how often you open the fridge

This may benefit from planning ahead what you need to get out prior to opening them.

Reduce cooking times by thawing frozen foods in the refrigerator beforehand.

Putting frozen items in the refrigerator also reduces the amount of energy it needs to use to maintain its low temperature.

Use a toaster or microwave instead of the oven whenever possible.

Microwave use

Although your microwave may use more energy, the shorter cooking time saves energy.

Wait for warm food to cool before putting it in the fridge.

Ensure food is cold before refrigerating

Your fridge will use extra energy to cool it down, so leave your food out on the side until it’s cool.

Chop food into smaller pieces and turn off the stove early.

Chop food

Smaller pieces of food cook faster and your food will continue to cook in the hot water. You can turn off the oven a few minutes early, too.

Make the switch to energy efficient appliances.

If your kitchen appliances are on the blink, it’s worth upgrading to energy efficient appliances. Although many energy-efficient appliances cost more initially, they’ll save you money in the long run and won’t need to be replaced for another 10 or 20 years. An A+ rated oven will consume up to 40% less energy than one which has been awarded a B rating according to the Energy Saving Trust, so it makes sense to choose the one with the highest rating.

Only buy products that suit your needs. If the kids have flown the nest, you could probably do without a king size fridge-freezer.

You can save even more energy in the kitchen and the rest of your home by checking you’re getting the best deal on your energy. Compare gas and electricity tariffs and see if you could save up to £200 a year by switching suppliers. See our guide to switching energy supplier to find out just how easy it is.

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