Kitchen pros share five ‘simple’ tips to save money on bills
Smart Energy shares tips for reducing energy bills
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Wren Kitchens has seen searches for “energy saving” tips increase by 200 percent year-on-year and one of the easiest ways to save on bills is in the kitchen. From how to fill your freezer effectively to switching off appliances, there are several ways homeowners can save energy in the kitchen.
1. Use bigger pans for liquids
The experts said: “Swap your smaller pans for larger ones to heat liquids on the hob. With a larger surface area, it means they will heat up quicker and distribute heat evenly.
“You’ll end up using less energy and it’s less money out of your pocket. On that note, if you can, try switching to copper pans, copper heats up quicker than stainless steel and cast iron and retains heat more efficiently.”
2. Use glass or ceramic dishes in the oven
According to the kitchen experts, glass or ceramic dishes help to retain heat better than metal ones, making them more efficient in the oven.
They can help to cook your food quicker, meaning the oven is on for a shorter amount of time, reducing bills and money.
3. Fill the freezer
The pros said: “Simply reduce energy consumption by filling the freezer up. How does it work?
“Well, believe it or not, keeping air cold uses more energy than keeping food cold does, and cold air is denser than warm air, so when you open the freezer door the cold air escapes and is replaced with warm air quickly.
“When you shut the door your freezer needs to work to replace all the warm air with cold again, thus using more energy.
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“Filling your freezer with food, or even newspaper to fill in the gaps, there’s less room for warm air.
“Careful not to pack it completely full though, you can block air vents, restrict ventilation and burn out the freezer altogether, which could cost you more to repair.”
4. Switch off appliances on standby
Many appliances can be “energy zappers”, even when they are not in use. According to the pros, they can use 10 to 15 percent of your energy consumption and yet, people often forget to turn them off at the plug.
Appliances left on standby could cost around £80 a year on energy bills, so remembering to turn them off can make a huge difference.
What’s more, it is often safer to turn appliances fully off, especially if you have pets or children.
The pros noted: “If it has a light or a digital clock, then it’s likely to be draining energy, so make sure to switch everything off or unplug them completely.”
5. Check your fridges temperature
The kitchen experts continued: “As it’s switched on 24/7 all year round, it’s worth occasionally checking the temperature of your fridge to avoid it being too high or low which can spoil food quicker.
“Too low may mean you’re wasting energy and could result in produce like milk and vegetables freezing, but not cold enough means your produce won’t last as long.
“Milk can last up to ten days at four degrees but only seven days at seven degrees. It should be set between three and four degrees. Place a fridge thermometer in the centre for 24 hours, take a reading and adjust the temperature dial accordingly.”
Experts at Radiators Online said: “This appliance needs 180 watts per hour to run, which means it requires 4.32 kWh to run for 24 hours.
“Multiplying this by 365 days at the average price per kWh, we find that your fridge is costing you £299.30 per year.”
Fridges are essential but paying for them with expensive electricity isn’t. The Radiators Online experts recommended purchasing a less-expensive appliance to lower the cost, such as propane fridges.
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