Kitchen
Refrigerator
- An ENERGY STAR refrigerator will use up to 50 per cent less energy than the average 10 year-old refrigerator.
Oven
- Avoid preheating your oven before cooking. Preheating is only required for baking.
Small appliances
- Use your toaster oven, frying pan or microwave for small meals. A toaster oven or microwave will heat a meal using less than half the power of the full oven.
Microwave
- To defrost your food, place it in the fridge earlier in the day or the night before instead of defrosting it in the microwave. It's safer than leaving it on the countertop and it will actually contribute to the refrigerator's cooling.
- Microwave ovens are one of the most energy-efficient cooking appliances. They are faster for most cooking jobs because the energy heats the food and not the oven or container. As an added bonus, microwaves don't heat up the kitchen.
- Convection ovens save time and energy on large dense items like roasts and turkeys. There is less saving on baked goods because of the short cooking time, but take advantage of the even cooking on multiple racks.
Tips for energy-efficient cooking with microwave ovens:
- Use the microwave for foods it does best (poultry, fish, tender cuts of meat, vegetables, sauces, soups and puddings).
- Reheat food in the microwave rather than in your range oven.
- Food cooks fastest in the microwave in small quantities. The cooking time increases as the volume of food increases.
- Take advantage of “standing time” (after the microwave shuts off). Food will continue to cook without any additional microwave energy.
Sink faucets
- Install aerators on all faucets to reduce water consumption. Fix dripping faucets quickly; a leaky faucet can waste up to 11,000 litres (2,900 US gallons) or more every year.
Appliances
- Look for the ENERGY STAR symbol when purchasing new appliances. They are 30 to 50 per cent more efficient than conventional models.
- The EnerGuide label is not a seal of energy efficiency. What matters is the EnerGuide rating (the number on the label). This label shows how much electricity the appliance consumes compared to other similar size units. The lower the number, the more efficient the appliance.
- Whenever possible, let the covered container of food cool outside the refrigerator before placing it in the refrigerator. The refrigerator won't have to work as hard to cool the food.
- To use the heat in your oven efficiently, bake several dishes at one time. It costs just as much to cook one dish as it does to cook four.
- Match the size of pots to the element or burner when cooking. Pots and pans should have clean flat bottoms, straight sides, and tight fitting lids. Cook with the lid on whenever possible.
- Run a full load when using a dishwasher.
- Use the energy saver cycle on your dishwasher, or open the door after the final rinse to let the dishes air-dry.
Tips to help your refrigerator keep cool and energy efficient:
- Keep the refrigerator away from direct sunlight or other heat sources.
- Door seals should be clean and in good condition to prevent warm air from entering and cool air from escaping.
- Clean condenser coils once or twice a year
- Air circulation around the coils of the refrigerator is important for energy efficiency.
- Keep the door closed as much as possible for energy savings.
- Chest freezers are more efficient than upright models.
- An electric kettle uses about 40 per cent less energy to boil water than a kettle on an electric range element.
Standby power
- Shut down electronic equipment when it's not in use.
- Unplug battery chargers as soon as the device is fully charged or when the charger is not being used.