It was certainly not that long ago that hippies and tree huggers were the only ones to show concern regarding the well-being of the ecosystem. That’s a thing of the past now, with all people being aware of the problems besetting the planet and also the shared responsibility we have for turning things around. According to the experts, to clean up the natural environment we are all going to have to make some improvements. These adjustments need to start occurring, and each individual family needs to become more environmentally friendly. Here are a few tips that can help you save energy, mainly by making your kitchen more green.
Let us begin with something quite simple, changing the particular light bulbs. Complete this for your house, not merely the kitchen. The usual light bulbs are the incandescent type, which really should be replaced with compact fluorescent lightbulbs, which save energy. These bulbs are generally energy-efficient which means electricity consumption is actually lower, and, although they cost a bit more to buy, will outlast an incandescent light ten times over. One of the extras is that for every one of these lightbulbs used, it means that approximately ten normal lightbulbs less will end up at a landfill site. It goes further than merely swapping the lights, though; turning off lights that aren’t needed is another good thing to do. The kitchen lights especially will often be left on the whole day, just because the family tends to spend a lot of time there. Of course this also happens in some other rooms, not just the kitchen. Make a habit of having the lights on only when they are needed, and you’ll be astonished at the amount of electricity you save.
A lot of electricity is definitely wasted when fridges and freezers, both heavy users of electricity anyway, are not operating efficiently. If you might be in the market for a new one, the good news is that compared with models from 10 or more years ago, they use about 60% less energy. Maintaining the temperature of the fridge at 37F, in conjunction with 0F for the freezer, will save on electricity, while keeping food at the correct temperature. Checking that the condenser is clean, which means that the motor needs to work less frequently, will also save electricity.
You may prefer preparing food with your oven, but using a microwave instead will cost you a lot less money. Perhaps the realization that an oven utilizes 75% more energy will encourage you to use the microwave more. In comparison with your stove, you can make boiled water as well as steamed vegetables faster, and use considerably less energy, by using countertop appliances. Many individuals wrongly believe that doing the dishes by hand uses a lesser amount of energy than a dishwasher. A dishwasher is especially efficient when it’s full before a cycle is started. By cool drying or air drying the dishes besides heat drying them, you can add to the amount of money you save.
From the above it really should be obvious that just in the kitchen, by itself, there are many little opportunities for saving energy and money. Eco-friendly living is not that hard. A lot of it truly is simply utilizing common sense.