Ho! Ho! Ho! Don't get burned by your energy costs in the kitchen!
Energy Saving Tips for Your Kitchen
Sponsored by Berkeys Air Conditioning and Plumbing
We spend a lot of money during the holidays – parties,brfamily dinners, toys from Santa and the list goes on. Your energybrbills can skyrocket with your stove, oven, and dishwasher running overtime. Notbrto mention the door to the refrigerator standing open as people search forbrhidden treats. But, the Christmas tree isn't thebronly thing that's green for the holidays. Therebrare tons of ways to save money and energy while still having a grand ole' time.
The holidays are usually a time forbrdelicious food shared with friends and family. You might think a little aboutbrthe energy that enables you to create those sensational culinary delights. Fortunately,brit's relatively easy to keep added holiday energy costs down (even if you'rebrgoing to have to do all the cooking). Newbrkitchen appliances use nearly 50 percent less energy than those built just tenbryears ago. But, before you get cooking,brlower the thermostat on the heating system a few degrees. Once you turn on yourbrappliances, the temperature inside your home will rise.
Don't get burned by your oven
- brDon'tbropen the oven door unless it's absolutely necessary. To take a peek at what'sbrcooking, turn on the oven light and check through the oven window. There arebralso dozens of meat and oven thermometers that you can use without opening thebrdoor. Opening the door lowers thebrtemperature inside by as much as 25 degrees, which increases cooking time andbrwastes energy.
- brIf possible, cook multiple items at the same time, but leavebrenough room for the air to circulate.
- brPlace your desserts in your still warm oven while you'rebreating. By the time you're finished, your pie will be warmed using the residualbrheat.
- brWhen you're finished cooking, leave the oven door ajar for abrlittle while – the residual heat will keep your kitchen warm, too.
Stovetop Tips and Tricks
- When cooking onbryour stovetop, match the size of the pan to the heating element (or as close asbryou can). Less energy will be lost to the surrounding air and more heat will bebrtransferred to the pan. A six-inch pan on an eight-inch burner can waste morebrthan 40 percent of the energy.
- Keep the burnersbrand reflectors clean. They will heat more efficiently and save energy. Buy highbrquality reflectors when you replace them. The best ones on the market can savebrup to one-third of the energy used to heat the element.
Get creative
- brDon't overlook your other culinary tools. Microwave ovensbrare fast and efficient and they use around 50 percent less energy thanbrconventional oven. You can use them tobrbake yams, steam your vegetables, or heat up the gravy. But, when it comes tobrthe turkey (or other large items) or breads, your oven or stovetop are usuallybrmore efficient.
- brRemember the small appliances hidden in the cabinets. Theybrcan be energy savers all year long. Slow cookers, like crock-pots, can cook abrwhole meal for about 17 cents worth of electricity. Electric skillets can cook abrvariety of food items in various ways. Somebrmay even double as serving dishes.
- brIf you're baking or broiling small items, use a toasterbroven. They use one-third less energy than a large conventional oven.
- brIf you're adventurous, get out of the kitchen and roast yourbrturkey and vegetables on the grill. Or give fried Turkey a try. Or cook abrdifferent type of meat – like beef or pork.
Give thebrFrigidaire a hand
- Thebrrefrigerator and freezer are more efficient than older models, but they're stillbrone of the largest energy consumers in your house – up to 15 percent of yourbrhome's energy usage. Operate your fridge and freezer more efficiently (andbreconomically) by keeping the doors closed as much as possible. However, leavingbrthe door open a little longer while you take out everything you need is more efficientbrthan opening and closing the doors several times.
- brKeep your refrigerator and freezer relatively full duringbrthe holidays. The mass of cold items inside will help your refrigerator returnbrto the correct temperature after the door is opened.
- brKeep the canned drinks and bottled water in a cooler, so youbrwon't open the refrigerator door unless it's necessary.
Washing your dishes
- brPut the relatives to work. Several people together washingbrand drying your dishes by hand can save energy - if you don't keep a steadybrstream of hot water flowing. Usually, a load of dishes washed in a dishwasherbrrequires 37 percent less water than washing dishes by hand. But, if you fillbrthe wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run, you'll use half asbrmuch water as a dishwasher and almost no electricity.
- brIf you opt to use the dishwasher, fill it up completely beforebryou turn it on. If you must rinse your dishes before loading them, use coldbrwater.
- brUse the energy-saving cycles. You can save up to 10 percentbrof your dishwashing energy costs.
Throughout the holiday season and intobrthe New Year, you'll watch your energy bills drop, which is one more thing tobrbe thankful for this holiday season.brBut,brsaving energy should extend to your entire home.
Your HVAC system and plumbing run allbryear long, so they need extra attention to be efficient. While you're preparingbrfor the holidays, contact your HVAC and plumbing professional, like Berkeys Air Conditioning & Plumbing. They have energy saving tips, too. They may also have specials on equipment or other services. Your HVAC and plumbing professionals may alsobrhave service plans, like BerkeysbrBAM Plan, that can help save you money onbrservice calls and provide annual tune-ups.
You can call Berkeys AirbrConditioning & Plumbing 24/7 at 817-481-5869, visit Berkeys for questions and scheduling information, or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Berkeys.