ENERGY TIPS FOR THE KITCHEN

Over the next few weeks we’ll be brining your our ‘ways to save’ series aimed at highlighting small areas of your home where you can saves money by the slightest change. This week we’re focussing on the Kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of a home and fast becoming the most used room in the house. With more and more people getting kitchen diners or having breakfast bars or cosy snug corners it really is becoming the hub for family activity.

1. Make sure your taps are fully turned off and not dripping when you’ve finished with them.

2. If you can, reheat/cook your food using the microwave rather than your oven. It uses less energy than an oven.

3. Always keep your oven door closed while cooking. If you leave the door open slightly it will take longer to reach the desired temperature and use more energy heating up.

4. When cooking a meal in the oven, turn it off a few minutes earlier than the desired cooking time. The oven will continue to cook your food at the right temperature but you wont be using energy to keep it cooking.

5. If you’re not using your microwave turn it off at the wall. The clock uses power you don’t need.

6. Making a brew? Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need. Top tip… fill your cup with water first and then pour that into the kettle before you boil it.

7.When you are cooking vegetables or pasta make sure you use just enough water to cover them. Don’t fill the pan to the brim.

8. Rather than putting tap water in a pan and boiling it on your hob, boil the kettle first and then use that in your pan. It’s much quicker and uses far less energy than waiting for pan to boil… a watched pot never boils as they say.

9. If your cooking on the hob use a pan that is right size for your ring and use the lid. It’ll heat up quicker and use far less gas.

10. Invest in a steamer, or a segmented pan, so you can cook different vegetables on one ring rather than using all 4 rings to cook different pans.

Our aim is to always help customers save money on their heating bills as well as reduce carbon emissions.

One of values is to promise is to deliver the best service and products we can at a fair price. If that means offering free tips and advice to save money (while helping the planet) then we’re more than happy to.