While preparing meals, keep some of these simple kitchen energy efficiency tips in mind to enjoy not only delicious food, but also energy savings!

• Always consider a small appliance instead of the large oven or stove top when preparing or reheating food.

• Use minimum heat. Once boiling has started, turn the heat down to the lowest setting that will maintain boiling. A higher setting will not cook your food any sooner. Boiling will be faster and foods cook more quickly when lids are used on pots.

• Every time you open the oven door, at least 20 per cent of the heat is lost. Use the oven light to check on food.

• Baking in glass or ceramic cookware will allow you to turn the temperature down by 4° Celsius and foods will still cook in the same time.

• Turn the oven off 15 minutes before cooking is done.  The temperature will be retained, allowing cooking to continue with the residual heat.

• For easy-to-clean loads in your dishwasher, use the light or short cycle. For further savings, use the no-heat or energy saving drying cycle and open the door when the wash cycle is complete and the contents are sufficiently hot to let the dishes air-dry.

• Only run your dishwasher when it is full.

•  It is far more efficient to make ice in ice cube trays than it is to use an automatic icemaker.

• It will cost less to keep your food frozen if the freezer is kept at least two-thirds full.

• Electric kettles are the perfect choice to heat water. They are more energy efficient than a stovetop or microwave oven. In fact, electric kettles use about 40% less energy than a stovetop.

• Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator rather than running your tap to get cold water.  Remember to rinse the bottle every few days.

• Allow hot and warm foods to cool and cover them well before placing them into your refrigerator.  You’ll use less energy and reduce condensation.

• Washing dishes by hand can use more water and energy than if you operate an automatic dishwasher.

• Microwaves heat from the outside edge of a dish toward the centre. By placing the food on the outer part of the rotating tray you can maximize the energy use and help the food cook faster. 

If you have any questions or are looking for any additional information, please call us toll free at 310-SAVE (7283).

For recipe and entertaining ideas, check out the ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen website.