The Energy Source

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Room-by-Room Savings: The Kitchen

Thu, 10/13/2016 - 19:17
kitchen illustration

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that homeowners typically spend about $2,000 every year on their energy bills. We’ve put together a series of posts that will show you how to save energy in your home, room-by-room. Let’s start with one of the biggest energy consumers in your home: the kitchen.

Appliances: When replacing existing kitchen appliances, look for products that are ENERGY STAR certified.

  • An ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator is approximately 9% more energy efficient than the federal standard and uses about half as much energy as a 15-year old refrigerator.
  • An ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher is, on average, 12% more energy efficient and 30% more water efficient than standard, non-ENERGY STAR certified models. (Also, remember to use your dishwasher efficiently for maximum savings!)

Kitchen Tips: In addition to purchasing energy-efficient appliances, there are also simple methods to saving energy.

  • Cover pots and pans which help to trap heat inside the pot or pan and reduce cooking times by approximately 10%.
  • Use your microwave—it’s the most efficient (and fastest) means of cooking.
  • Keep oven and refrigerator doors closed as much as possible. Keeping the oven door closed while the oven is in use can save as much as $20 per year!
  • Pre-rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher wastes water. Instead, just scrape excess food directly into the trash (or compost), achieving the same result, without using extra water or energy!

Lighting: If you’re more of the DIY-type, then we’d recommend tackling the lighting in your kitchen. The ENERGY STAR Kitchen Lighting page is a great place to start. Kitchens feature many different types of lighting, such as under-cabinet lighting, recessed ceiling lighting, ceiling fixtures, pendant fixtures, and architectural lighting—all of which have ENERGY STAR certified options. If replacing existing kitchen lighting, consider renovating with LED bulbs. On average, LED bulbs and fixtures use 70-90% less energy than standard bulbs.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts with tips and resources on how to save energy (and money!) in other areas of your home.

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