Top tips for saving money by using less energy in the kitchen

Saving energy and saving money go hand inhand. By becoming more energy efficientyou can not only save money but can also do your bit for the environment byreducing your carbon footprint. These handy tips can help you to cut the energyyou use in the kitchen.

Fridges and freezers as well asother domestic appliances such as washing machines all have an energyefficiency rating. The higher the rating the less energy is used to produce thedesired result, for example a load of washing. When choosing a new appliancelook for goods that have a rating of A, A+ or A++.

Make sure your fridge orfreezer is set at the right temperature which should be between 0 and 5 degreesfor optimum performance and dont under or over fill them. Making an appliancework harder than it needs to will increase the energy it needs to use.

By reducing the temperaturethat you wash your clothes at by just ten degrees you can make substantialsavings on your energy usage. If you have a small load to wash consider a halfload option when setting off your machine. As the majority of the energy usedwhen running a washing machine comes from heating the water it stands to reasonthat the less there is to wash then the less energy will be being used.

If you absolutely must have atumble drier, bearing in mind that this is an appliance that uses a lot ofenergy compared to other kitchen equipment, then make sure that you only dryfor as long as you need to. Wring clothing out or give it an extra spin beforeputting it in the tumble drier and set the timer according to need.

Microwaves and steamers use farless energy than an oven or cooker top and can produce healthier results. Foodthat is steamed rather than boiled tends to retain more of their nutrients.Using a microwave is also a lot faster, more convenient and is easier to clean.It could be time to rethink how you use the appliances in your kitchen.

The kitchen is usually a placethat gets a lot of traffic through it. This is no excuse for not turning offlights when you leave, closing doors to keep heat in, switching off the radioand unplugging any appliances that are sitting ready to be used. The coffeemachine is a great example of an appliance that is often plugged in and left onstandby.

A simple but effective way tosave money in the kitchen is to only fill the kettle with as much water as youneed to make your hot drink. There is no need to boil a kettle-full when mostof it will go unused.

A few simple changes around your kitchenalone will cut the energy you use and in the long term this will result inlower energy bills.