Old kitchen appliances can use almost 1/4 of your home entire energy
Here is a breakdown evaluation of an average household’s use of energy: space heating and cooling – 44%, water heating – 13%, lighting – 12%, refrigeration – 8%, home electronics – 6%, laundry appliances – 5%, kitchen appliances – 4%, other home energy users – 8%.
As obvious as it may seem, saving money and energy within the home is minimizing what you use, and the best way to do this is by looking at the biggest culprits. As you can see, appliances can use as much as 16% of your household’s energy. Refrigerators, cookers, dishwashers, ovens and microwaves… it all adds up.
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Initially, it’s a good idea to educate yourself in regards to what kitchen appliances should be bought. Choose home kitchen appliances that carry the energy star logo, meaning that they use up to 15% less energy than other models. Each appliance has an energy efficiency rating that is based on its annual energy consumption in comparison to other appliances. While you’ll pay more for a higher rating appliance, it’s also true that you should recoup the difference after a couple of years of having the machine thanks to energy saving. Always buy kitchen appliances that match the capacity of your needs. If you have one child, then you will not need a very big fridge, for example. Consider the opportunity of checking out kitchen showrooms because they will give you a better, rounded approach to both going green and how this will work with your kitchen design.
When you use your appliances, make sure you run everything on full. Do not run the washing machine when you can only half fill it with clothes, wait until you have a full load. The same goes for the dishwasher. If you can use cold water for both and still get the same results as with hot water, than do it.
Your microwave can save you a lot of money. It uses about 14% less energy than your oven so if you are re-heating food or making small to medium-sized meals, use your microwave instead. Thanks to the speedy times of cooking, energy is saved just because you are using a pressure cooker. Even changing the way you cook can save you money. A 6 inch pan on an 8 inch burner waste 40% of the heat, and always use a pan lid.
With cooking in mind, it can be a difficult choice between electric and gas appliances since none is greener than the other. Natural gas is a fossil fuel, but most electricity comes from coal-burning power plants. Gas might win though, since it is easier to control temperatures and therefore less heat is wasted. As a guide, the lower the BTU output on a stove, the more energy-efficient it is.
With electric stoves, the most efficient are those that use induction elements as they use less than half the energy of standard coil elements, however this technology is typically only available in higher-priced models
In reality, the removal of your old appliances should be done following contact with your local governing body because they will know the right details about take-back programs or recycling so that you can safely and properly get rid of them.
To minimize landfill waste, choose cookware and utensils that will last. Non-stick products generally have a limited life span, choose stainless steel or cast iron instead that will last generations.
Saving money in the home is something that we all want to do, and minimizing the usage of appliances energy can save you a lot of cash. With them using around 16% of your whole energy in the home, it’s time to take a look at greener gadgets.
Making an investment in premium kitchen appliances makes sense for anyone who values quality and reliability in the kitchen. For an enormous range of high end kitchen appliances take a look at this leading operator of kitchen showrooms and stockists of all the best kitchen equipment, refrigerators, ovens and other appliances.
By: Terry Philips
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Watch this video about about saving energy in your kitchen with better appliances:
