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Energy Conservation

Calculate your home’s energy usage with our Home Energy Suite:

Energy Efficiency In The Kitchen

Refrigerator/Freezer:

  • Set the refrigerator temperature between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the freezer no lower than 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Open the doors as seldom as possible, closing them quickly.
  • Cool foods to room temperature before placing them in the refrigerator, unless otherwise noted in the recipe.
  • Defrost manual refrigerators when the frost is ¼ inch thick.
  • If you do not need a second refrigerator, then unplug it and have the door removed.
  • Keep condenser coils clean.
  • Keep the freezer portion full. This will help you to retain cold air as you open and close the door.
  • Make sure you get everything out the first time you open the door. This will help to eliminate unnecessary door openings.

Range/Oven:

  • Only use pots and pans that fit the heating units.
  • Use a flat-bottom pan with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Don’t preheat the oven unless the recipe calls for it.
  • You do not always have to preheat when you are broiling.
  • Use a timer and try to avoid opening the oven door before the food is done.
  • Plan meals ahead so that several foods can be cooked at one time.
  • Use a pressure cooker; it can save energy and shorten cooking time.

Dishwasher & Disposer:

  • If you use only a few dishes a day, run the dishwasher only once a week. Washing a full load of dishes uses less water than washing them all by hand.
  • Use cold water to pre-rinse dishes in the sink.
  • If available, use energy-saving cycles.
  • Let the dishes air dry.
  • Only use cold water in your garbage disposer.

Microwave:

  • Use when reheating leftovers.
  • Use to thaw out foods when time does not permit natural thawing.
  • Use the microwave oven in place of the conventional oven whenever possible in the summer because the microwave does not heat up the kitchen.