Posted by katherine.owen
Wednesday, 26 Oct 2011
The Energy Saving Trust is promoting Energy Saving Week from the 24th to 28th October 2011 to help you save energy and money in your home. Energy prices this year have gone up by 18% making heating and lighting your home this winter a worry for many.
But don’t fret, at Appliances Online we love a good money saving tip, so we’ve got some great ideas to help you cut the cost of your bills from your kitchen.
Some of the best ways to save cash with your kitchen appliances can be done for free and take very little time to implement.
Got five minutes to spare?
- Leaving your washing machine and tumble dryer on standby wastes 7kwh of energy every day, that’s the equivalent of enough energy to power 5 light bulbs for 24 hours. So spend five minutes every evening walking around the kitchen and turning off any appliances which are on standby to save cash.
- Don’t stack items on top of your fridge or freezer. This hinders the appliance’s ability to ventilate properly and makes the appliance warmer. The compressor then has to work harder to keep the appliance cool which costs you more.
- Don’t open your oven when you’re cooking because the heat, and therefore energy, will escape – it’s the equivalent spilling money out onto the kitchen floor. Instead, just have a peek through the oven door to see how your food is getting on.
- Use pans which are the same size as your gas burners. Using a small pan on a big hob wastes energy, as heat can escape up the sides.
- Don’t rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher - it wastes water. Dishwashers are built to deal with even the most burnt on mess.
And when it comes to replacing your appliances look for the Energy Saving Trust logo! A new efficient fridge freezer can save you around £280 over its lifespan compared with a 10 year old model so it’s really worthwhile.
If you have any money saving tips of your own, feel free to ask us in the comments section below, or visit the Energy Saving Trust.