This post is sponsored by Energy Upgrade California.
You guys know I’m pretty outspoken about food waste, food education, and environmentalism. So, it should come as no surprise that I try and save energy at home, too. We have a programmable thermostat that will turn the temperature down when we’re not home, our lightbulbs are all LED, and we set our smart lights to turn off when we leave our home. I also have a couple of tips and tricks I use in the kitchen to save energy and I’ve partnered with Energy Upgrade California to show you how easy it is to be energy efficient in the kitchen!
1. Fill the dishwasher all the way before running it
You’ll use less water and energy per dish. Also, most new dishwashers are strong enough to clean your dishes without having to rinse them! Your soup covered bowl and spoons are good to go right into the dishwasher!
2. Pull the plug
While this might seem insignificant, your coffee maker, blender and toaster still draw power even when they’re turned off. Remember to not only turn off but unplug any devices and appliances when they’re not being used.
3. Keep your freezer full.
An empty freezer uses more energy to stay cold. Our household is big on leftovers, so after a meal like pasta, I package up the leftovers and place them in the freezer.
4. Defrost in the fridge, not with warm water!
Pull leftovers and any other items you need to defrost out of the freezer the night before and place them in the fridge instead of running hot water over them in the sink, which wastes a lot of water.
5. Put the right pot and pan on the right burner.
Did you know that using a 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner can waste 40% of the heat generated by the burner? I know it’s easy to think that a big burner might heat up the small pot faster, but it doesn’t.
6. Keep your oven door closed.
I know it’s hard not to want to keep opening the oven door to check on your food but every time you open the door you drop the temperature in the oven up to 25 degrees, and more energy is needed to bring the oven back up to the correct temperature.
7. Cover your pots when boiling water.
If you are boiling water for something like pasta, make sure to cover the pot with a lid. This brings the water to a boil much faster than it would without a lid, saving energy!
8. Prep ahead
I always make sure to prep all my ingredients ahead of time before turning on my stove or any other appliances. Turning on appliances before I wash and chop veggies and prep proteins could waste energy.
When we all save energy in little ways, we can make a huge impact in keeping California golden for generations to come. To learn more and join the movement, please visit energyupgradeca.org.
