The kitchen is the heart of the home and can be the heart of your energy savings. Lighting accounts for 5% of a home’s electricity usage, refrigeration 3%, cooking 1% and dishwashers 1%.
No-cost energy efficiency tips
- Adjust the refrigerator thermostat to the right temperature – do not over cool/freeze.
- Use lids on pots and pans to boil or cook faster.
- Do not open the oven door unnecessarily.
- Defrost naturally
- Use the microwave
- Keep the refrigerator coils clean.
- Use your dishwasher with a full load and not overloaded.
Low-cost EE tips
- Buy the most energy efficient Energy Star rated appliance can save you energy. See https://www.energystar.gov/products/most_efficient for a listing of the most efficient models.
- By replacing 5 bulbs with the same level of lighting LEDs you can save $75 each year and last 5 to 25 times longer.
- Replacing a 60 watt incandescent bulb with a 12 watt LED (same light level) will save you $5.50 a year and will last 25,000 hours compared to 1,000 for the incandescent bulb.