Saving energy is one of the most important issues in our society today. Electricity and heating costs are a major financial burden for many households and are often viewed as a “second rent”. Although you cannot influence electricity prices, there are other measures that can reduce household electricity costs. And if you want to save electricity at home, you should start in the kitchen. There is actually a lot of savings potential there and we will show you how you can make the most of it.
To save electricity, you should know your electricity consumption and find out about the current prices. According to data from Eurostat, electricity prices in Germany are well above the European average. But there are also large price differences between the basic supplier and other electricity providers. This is because regional basic providers are less flexible and provide a single basic tariff.By comparing electricity, you can often find a cheaper provider, which offers a better electricity tariff. If you want to reduce household electricity costs in the long term, the first step you can take is to choose a different electricity provider.
In addition to switching providers, there are also other energy-saving measures you could take. If the power consumption is reduced, then you will definitely save money. Since the kitchen is considered one of the biggest energy guzzlers in the home, we have the followingcollected a few tipsthat help you save electricity.
Identify energy guzzlers and make optimal use of them
If you want to reduce electricity consumption, you first have to find the energy guzzlers in the household and reduce them. In the kitchen, appliances such as the refrigerator, freezer and electric stove use a lot of energy and therefore have great savings potential.
The refrigerator and freezer operate 24 hours a day and account for a large portion of the electricity bill. Never place these devices next to heat sources such as radiators or ovens. You can reduce consumption if you set the right temperature. For the refrigerator, 7 degrees is optimal, and for the freezer - from -15 degrees in winter to -18 degrees in summer. Furthermore, you should not put warm food or drinks in the refrigerator and do not leave the door open for more than a few seconds.
When buying new, go for high energy efficiency
If you are planning to buy new kitchen equipment, then you should choose kitchen appliances that are as energy efficient as possible. These noticeably reduce electricity bills and are a really worthwhile investment. TheEnergy efficiency class for household appliancesindicates whether the device consumes comparatively much or little power. All the most important information is summarized on the EU energy label. For large electrical appliances, the most economical versions are marked with “A+++” and the worst – with “D”.
Save electricity when cooking and washing up
Using an energy-efficient stove or oven can be the right way to save electricity in the kitchen. However, the savings opportunities don't stop there. If you make sure that the bottom of the pot matches the size of the hotplate when cooking, you will make optimal use of the energy. Sometimes it might also be worth turning the stove down before cooking and using the residual heat. The lid on the pot and the circulating air in the oven are also part of energy-saving cooking.
Although the dishwasher is a large electrical appliance, it is often cheaper to use than washing dishes by hand. To reduce energy consumption as much as possible, you should only turn on the dishwasher when it is really full. It is best to wash lightly soiled dishes on a short program. This not only saves electricity, but also water.
Replace the old light bulbs with LED bulbs
In the kitchen you need good, neutral light for cooking. Although energy efficient lighting is no longer a new issue, there are still households that use the old incandescent bulbs. If these are replaced with LED lights, electricity costs will be reduced significantly.
Anyone who uses energy sparingly not only protects their own wallet, but also the environment as a whole!
