The meals you prepare during the holidays are an important part of
the celebrations you share with family and friends. But the energy used for all the cooking, baking, and dish washing can really add up on your energy bills! These energy-saving tips will help you to reduce the amount of energy you use while preparing those traditional holiday meals.
Cooking and Baking Tips
- Pre-heat the oven to the exact temperature you need. For foods that cook for several hours, pre-heating is not necessary.
- When cooking and baking, limit the number of times the oven door is opened. Opening the door lowers the temperature by as much as 25oF.
- If you use an electric oven, turn the oven off 15 minutes before the cooking time is complete. Food will continue cooking at the set temperature as long as the oven door is not opened.
- Because they retain heat so well, you can reduce the oven temperature by 25oF if you use glass or ceramic baking dishes.
- Self-cleaning ovens work at a very high temperature when this feature is used. If your self-cleaning oven needs to be cleaned, do this immediately after cooking (while the oven is still hot) to take advantage of the residual heat.
- Bake several batches of cookies or more than one pie to conserve energy.
Cooking on the range top uses less energy than cooking foods in the oven. The following tips will help you to save even more energy:
- Use the lowest heat setting possible.
- If you use an electric range top, be sure to match the size of the pan to the size of the heating element. Using a 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner will waste 40% of the energy used!
- Keeping pots and pans covered prevents heat loss.
- Clean burners and reflectors provide better heating and help save energy.
- You can turn off the burner on your electric range a few minutes before cooking is complete—the heating elements will stay hot enough to continue cooking after the electricity is turned off.
More Energy-Saving Cooking Options
Slow cookers, electric skillets, and toaster ovens are great for heating leftovers, and use much less energy than conventional ovens and range tops. Microwave ovens also use 50% less energy than conventional ovens. To save energy, reheat food in the microwave instead of on the range top or in the oven.
Refrigerators and Freezers
Your home refrigerator accounts for as much as 15% of your home's total energy use. Make sure the seals on your refrigerator door are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a piece of paper or a dollar bill positioned half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper or bill out easily, the latch may need adjustment, the seal may need replacing, or you might consider buying a new unit.
Keeping the refrigerator and freezer well-stocked helps maintain the set temperature, and reduces energy loss when the door is opened. Removing as many items as possible each time the door is opened, cuts down on the number of openings, as well.
Dishwashing Tips
Dishwashers today clean heavily soiled dishes to a shine, eliminating the need for pre-rinsing. If you cannot bring yourself to load the dishwasher without pre-rinsing, be sure to use cold water. If your dishwasher has a booster heater, set the temperature of your hot water heater to 120oF. To save even more energy, do the following:
- Fill the dishwasher according to manufacturer's recommendations.
- Never turn the dishwasher on until you have a full load.
- Use the air-dry feature whenever possible.
Used with Permission from Tech Resources, Inc.
