Energy and Money Saving Tips when using Kitchen Appliances

ASHLAND, Ky. - Oct. 30, 2014 - PRLog -- If you are in the process of buying new kitchen appliances to replace models that are 10 years or older, there is an excellent chance that your overall consumption of energy will decrease, but you may not see much in the way of savings on your energy bills due to changes in the way that utilities charge for kilowatts. There are, however, several steps you can take that can reduce your consumption of energy even further while also lowering the cost of kilowatts that are consumed in your kitchen. These steps include:

·  Shifting elective appliance use out of the afternoon and early evening time slot – An increasing number of utilities are now using smart meters, which enables them to charge for kilowatts based on when they are consumed. Referred to as Time of Use billing, the most expensive hours (billed as Peak kilowatts) run on weekdays from the early afternoon into the evening. Morning and late night hours are discounted by approximately 10 to 15 percent from peak charges, while the Off-peak billing period runs from late night to early morning during the week and through the weekend. Shifting dishwasher and oven usage from Peak to Off-peak hours can result in charges for kilowatts that are half the amount of those consumed during peak periods.

·  Stop preheating your oven and then cook with convection – The ritual of preheating is still called for in the vast majority of cooking instructions, but is no longer necessary due to the rapid heating rates of today’s ovens. When you bake or roast, using convection heats more efficiently than conventional cooking, which lowers both the temperature as well as the time needed to finish dishes. Lower temps and cooking times using convection saves an average of 20 percent versus conventional baking and roasting.

·  Finish your dishwashing loads on “Air Dry” – In any appliance, generating heat is extremely energy intensive, meaning that alternative actions can save substantial amounts of energy. One of these alternative actions, when using the dishwasher, is to use the “Air Dry” cycle at the end of the cycle instead of the heat cycle. If you don’t have an air dry option, stop the cycle and open the door to let the load dry naturally.

Maximizing energy savings in the kitchen starts with buying efficient appliances, but it doesn’t end there. With a new billing system in place, shifting elective appliance use to lower demand periods and making some energy efficient changes in the way appliances are operated can lower both the cost and consumption of kilowatts in the kitchen.