APPLIANCES around your home could be adding to energy bills if you don’t use them in the right way.
From electric ovens to air fryers – many of us use these devices everyday without knowing the best way to use them
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With energy bills still high and inflation on the rise too, mistakes could be adding to bills unnecessarily.
While the energy price guarantee (EPG) is frozen until June 30 at £2,500 for the typical bill, millions of people are still facing higher costs.
This is because the energy bill support scheme, which has seen £66 or £67 knocked off all household energy bills since October, has come to an end.
Exactly how much your bill is will depend on how much energy you use, how big your home is and your energy provider.
Thankfully, experts at The Energy Saving Trust have found the most efficient ways to run different cooking appliances so you don’t need to spend more than you need to.
Joanna O’Loan, knowledge manager at the organisation, said: “There are ways to be more energy efficient with whatever appliance you choose.
“All of these small changes can help reduce energy usage, cut carbon emissions and save money on your energy bills.”
Below, we outline how to best use five common kitchen appliances and how to use them the most efficiently.
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Electric Oven – best for batch cooking
- Typical cost per use: 27p
Ovens are generally bigger than other cooking appliances, meaning they require more energy to heat up.
This means a typical electric oven can be the most expensive cooking appliance to run, according to the Energy Saving Trust.
If you used your for an hour on every day of the year, this would add a shopping £98.55 to your energy bill.
But of course, how much an appliance costs to run on which model you have and how often you use it.
But the experts say their larger size means you can fit a lot of food in at once, making them great for batch cooking or cooking for a big group.
Make sure you avoid opening the door more than necessary while the oven is on to keep in hot air and keep costs as low as possible.
Gas or electric hob – best for quick meals
- Typical cost per use: 1p to 2p
Using the hob is typically quite cheap, as generally you won’t need to have it on for very long to prepare meals
But the Energy Saving Trust says using a gas hob does produce more direct carbon emissions than an electric hob.
So if you’re just using it to reheat a meal, you might want to consider using a microwave instead in order to reduce your carbon footprint.
It’s also important to remember to cover your saucepan with a lid to keep heat in and reduce wasted energy.
Slow cooker – best for busy schedules
- Typical cost per use: 26p
Slow cookers are designed to cook food gradually over a long period of time.
This makes them a convenient way to cook if you have a busy schedule.
To save energy, the Trust say you should try to avoid leaving them on longer than necessary or use ‘low’ setting if you’ll be out for longer.
Different recipes may also require different settings with some being set to as low as 60°C which will use less electricity than a meal cooked at a higher setting such as 149°C.
We recently tried to cook a roast dinner in the slow cooker to cut energy bills – and the results weren’t quite what we were expecting.
Air fryer – best for one to two people
- Typical cost per use: 7p
An air fryer works like a small conventional fan oven.
Households have jumped on the air fryer trend as energy bills soar, and they could save you hundreds of pounds a year.
This is because of its small size, which means using an air fryer can often be cheaper than using your oven for the same meal.
This makes it ideal for preparing smaller quantities of food, eg for one or two people.
We spoke to one couple who have managed to slash their energy bill in half by ditching their oven and using an air fryer.
The Energy Saving Trust recommends that you avoid opening the compartment any more than necessary to avoid letting out heat and wasting energy.
Microwave – best for reheating and quick cooking
- Typical cost per use: 4p
Instead of heating the air, your microwave directly heats the food.
This means your microwave will cook and reheat food very quickly.
The Trust says this means its cost per use is likely to be lower than many other cooking appliances.
If you’re preparing a large meal, batch cooking in a full oven and then reheating portions as you need them in the microwave can be a good way to keep your energy bills down, the Trust said.
How else can I save on energy bills?
There are plenty of ways reduce your energy bill and some of them are pretty simple, like closing your curtains in the evening.
When temperatures naturally drop, you should draw them to keep the heat in, and then open them in the morning when the sun comes out.
You can also buy draught excluders which can be cheap – we spotted them on Amazon for £7.99 – but you should always shop around for better offers.
And always think about how much money you’re spending on household appliances – the kettle is ranked one of the costliest, after the shower, heating and a fan-assisted oven.
You can read about how much they cost and how to keep prices down in our guides – like this one here.
Also, Energy Saving Trust estimates that between 9-16% of electricity used in homes is through appliances in standby mode.
On a bill of £500, this could account for as much as £80. We’ve rounded up the worst devices to leave on standby.
And remember installing a smart meter is free and usually provided by your energy supplier.
They keep a real-time record of your energy consumption so you can keep an eye on what you’re using.
There are also a handful of new cost of living payments to help with bills coming – including the Warm Home Discount and £900 one-off payment.
You can read more about those payments in our round up here.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk
