How to Cut Electric Bills in the Kitchen

Most people are trying to cut their electric bills. Here are a few simple ways to cut down on your electric bill by changing a few little things in the kitchen. These kitchen tips are habit forming!

Wash dishes by hand.

Dishwashers are a great invention. They are useful and time saving. But, they also use a fair amount of electricity. Even if you wash your dishes by hand 2 days a week instead of using the dishwasher, you will be saving yourself money. And unless someone is sick or you have to sterilize the dishes for a specific reason, keep the sanitizer use to a minimum. It can really add to the electric bill. Make sure you are washing full loads.

Using carafes to cut the electric bill.

I am a tea and coffee drinker. All day long I am drinking one or the other. Want to save on your electric bill in the kitchen? Purchase a good carafe. Put your hot water or coffee in it and turn off the stove and coffee pot!

Unplug the small kitchen appliances.

Studies are showing that anything that is plugged in uses a certain amount of electricity. Whether its turned on or not. Look around your kitchen. Unplug the juicer, coffee pot, slow cooker, mixer and toaster. Plug them in when you need them and unplug them when you are finished. This is something that is starting to become a habit with me. It does help on the electric bill.

Using an electric stove.

The biggest kitchen culprit adding to our electric bill is our stove. I cook a lot and bake a lot and it is challenging to come up with ways to help cut the electric bill when it comes to my stove. I try to set the oven to the temp I need immediately before I start to make the cake, cookies or what have you. By the time the preparation is done, the oven is almost always hot. I used to be lax and set it long before I was ready to use it.

Boiling burns up the electricity too. I found that on my noodle package, it has instructions to boil your noodles for 15-20 minutes. OR, you can boil them for 2 minutes, turn off the burner, cover tightly and let set for the same amount of time. I actually like this method best and the electric bill gets a little help too.

If its chilly and I have used my oven. When I turn it off, I crack the door open so that the heat can help warm the kitchen. In the summertime, I don't dawdle with the door open. I use it and turn it off as fast as I can.

Kitchen lights and your electric bill.

Kitchen lights have a way of staying on long after they are really needed. I have to be honest, I didn't realize how much cooking I could do in my kitchen with just the overhead stove/hood light on. Make sure you have turned off as many lights in the kitchen as possible after you have finished your work there. Your electric bill will reflect it.

Kitchen electric bill and the refrigerator.

In the summertime, when the kids and adults are all in and out of the refrigerator for something cold to drink, you are adding to the kitchen electric bill. Every time you open the door to the frig you let out the cold. Your refrigerator has to work to cool it back down again. In hot weather, how about making some jugs of ice and putting them in a chest cooler with pop, water, ice tea and juices? Everyone can take their time about making their choices of what to drink and your electric bill won't suffer.

When making a meal, get all of the ingredients out of the refrigerator at once. And put them all back at the same time so that you are not opening and closing the door many times.

These are ways to help cut your kitchen use of electricity and cut down on your electric bill. You aren't going without, you are just using some common sense ways to help cut that electric bill, starting in your kitchen.

my own experiences
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