With the announcement that energy bills are soaring as high as 54 per cent in April, Brits may be looking for ways to reduce their energy bills.
A new report discovered that a third of people say they haven't been able to afford heating in their home throughout this winter.
Some people have also been skipping meals and taking out loans to cover essential costs, Wales Online reports.
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Despite the dire situation, there are ways to reduce your energy bills and hopefully alleviate financial concerns in covering the essentials with a number of people already recommending different tricks.
Aside from turning down the thermostat a bit, wearing warmer clothes and keeping curtains closed at night, there are other areas that you may be ignoring, such as the kitchen.
Kitchen design and retail specialist Magnet collected the 20 most used kitchen appliances across the UK to find which one is the most energy hungry.
They then shared their top tips on how to save energy in your kitchen to help reduce bill costs.
Magnet calculated the yearly running costs of the top 20 kitchen appliances by combining the average power rating and the estimated number of hours used yearly - this was done at the electricity UK average for June 2021 (19.63p per kWh).
Research shows that the dishwasher is likely to cost the most when it comes to your annual energy bill.
Despite its high energy use, it doesn't run for hours like some other appliances - in 12 months the appliance will use up an average of 1,355,063 watts running up a total cose of £266.
This is slightly higher than a 24-hour Fridge-Freezer which runs a cost of £257.93.
At the bottom of the list is the simple blender which only uses 4,258 watts each year, running up a total cost of 90p.
Similarly, juicers only use an average of 10, 646 watts a year which costs £2.09.
Six expert tips to help save energy in the kitchen
If you are looking for ways to save energy (and money) in your kitchen the experts at Magnet have provided six top tips to get you started.
1. Avoid leaving your appliances on standby or switched on
Whilst understandably some appliances in your home cannot be switched off such as the fridge-freezer, other appliances are sitting around wasting energy.
You can save energy just by switching off the plug to avoid appliances such as the dishwasher, microwave or toaster from using phantom energy.
Encourage yourself to get into the habit of turning these appliances off when they are not in use and you’ll be instantly saving.
2. Invest in smart, energy-efficient appliances
One of the best ways to save energy within your kitchen is to invest in smart appliances.
Older appliances often use a considerable amount of energy due to their lower efficiency rating so it may be worth upgrading.
Although it may cost you initially, you’ll be saving a lot more time, energy and money in the long run.
3. Use the right size appliance for your needs
Appliances such as fridge-freezers, dishwashers and washing machines are all becoming more energy efficient.
However, if your appliances are too big for your needs then they are still going to waste some serious energy.
If you live on your own, you’re most likely not going to need a family sized fridge-freezer, so go smaller and save yourself some money and energy.
4. Use your fridge and freezer efficiently
As Magnet’s research shows, your fridge-freezer is one of the biggest consumers of energy as it’s constantly switched on.
An easy way to reduce its energy use is to help the appliance maintain or restore its correct temperature as quickly as possible.
You can do this by making sure cooked food is cooled before putting it in the fridge-freezer, not leaving the doors open for long periods of time, closing the doors correctly and making sure the seals are working properly.
To check the seal, close a piece of paper in the door - if it can be easily pulled out, it needs to be fixed!
Where you position your fridge-freezer in your kitchen is also important to save energy.
Try to keep it away from heat sources such as sunlight and your oven or radiators.
Make sure it also has good ventilation by leaving gaps (5-10cm) between the sides, back and top of the fridge-freezer so the hot air that is expelled can escape.
5. Energy saving cooking
The main reason we use our kitchens is to cook, so why not save energy whilst doing so.
You can reduce your energy use daily just by changing a few simple steps such as covering pots and pans with a lid in order to encourage water to boil quicker and use less energy.
Turning off the heat a few minutes before you have finished cooking is also a great way to cut down energy, as heat will retain as the hob cools down.
6. Cut down on the amount of water you use
To help reduce your bills, you can also focus on reducing the amount of water you waste. It is estimated that 10% of the water we use in the home is used in the kitchen - so it is a great place to start.
You can take small steps to do this by being more efficient with your usage.
Despite using more energy, research by Which? found dishwashers use considerably less water compared to hand-washing - with even the least water-efficient models using 50% less.
However, you can also take steps to reduce energy and water use together such as making sure you only boil the necessary amount of water needed when cooking or making a hot drink.
Hayley Simmons, Director of Commercial Range at Magnet said: “To save energy in your kitchen, you can start by reducing your usage a little bit every single day using Magnet’s top tips. By sticking with these small changes, you can start to benefit the environment and save money in the long run.
"If you want to make sure you’re saving as much energy as possible, invest in up-to-date technology, smart kitchens and appliances to ensure your home has the best energy rating and reduce your carbon footprint."
