Consider: Oven Reviews and Ratings, Self Cleaning Ovens, Wall Ovens, Convection Ovens, and Toaster Ovens, Range Reviews and Ratings, Gas Ranges, Electric Ranges, Cooktops, Range Hoods, Microwave Oven Reviews and Ratings, and Microwave Convection Ovens.
Cook and clean more efficiently
The refrigerator may be the biggest power drain in the kitchen but cooking and dishwashing can be a close second. Once you've checked your fridge, try these other tips for using less energy in the kitchen.
- When using the oven, see with your eyes and not your hands. Opening the door to get a look at your food can release as much as 25% of the heat inside the oven. Reduce the number of times you open the door and make use of those oven windows and lights.
- Use the top rack of the oven, food will cook more quickly.
- Crock pots, toasters and modern microwaves all use much less energy than your oven. Consider using the microwave or toaster oven to cook smaller items. Defrosting food in the microwave or heating it for a minute before putting it in the oven will save you time and money.
- By replace old faucets with new water-saving designs -- or simply fit your current faucet with a low-flow aerator, you can stop energy from doing down the drain every time you turn on the hot water.
- An aerator with an on/off switch stops the water just before it leaves the faucet, allowing you turn the water on and off while maintaining whatever temperature and pressure you like.
- When hand washing dishes, don't let the hot water run continuously. Using a dishpan or sink stopper to create a bath for washing or rinsing your dishes is a good way to conserve water. Leaving the water running for just seven minutes can use more water than even an older dishwasher model uses to clean a full load of dishes.
- If you have dishwasher, use it. Running a fully-loaded dishwasher -- without pre-rinsing the dishes -- can use a third less water than washing the dishes by hand. Simply scrape large pieces of food off of your dishes and let the dishwasher handle the rest. Use the "energy saver" and "light wash" options for everyday cleaning.
The right home improvement products, techniques, and services:
Contractors, home improvement stores, and specialty shops in your area may not yet have a complete familiarity with the ‘green’ opportunities, products, system integration, and overall savings potential. So, you may get some resistance, since people in general are typically more comfortable recommending something that they are already familiar with rather than something new. To help break the inertia, use the information across this website like our Return on Investment Master ROI Table. Also feel free to post a question in our forum on the message board about a particular need for your home relative to your area. Our team has spent multiple years aggregating research from public and private sector performance reports and from manufacturers and homeowners across the country in order to provide you with the perspective you may need to see the initial payback and long term advantages. Environmental enthusiasts and leading institutions like the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Realtors, see the value and link into our resources to support their members.
The Green Home:
For your overall home improvement, you can save money, improve your family’s health, and save the planet. Find out for free how much it will cost to do different types of home improvement in your home from a qualified and member approved contractor in your area. Get a FREE Quote . Plus, regardless of the size and scope of your home improvement project, save money and keep your home clean with the top rated chemical free and concentrated Green Home Cleaning Products.
Home Improvement Basics:
When it comes to home improvement basics, look for interior home improvements like creating a clean, safe, and healthy home through sustainable ‘green’ furniture, home décor, zero VOC and Interior Paint, plus ENERGY STAR Appliances and Electronics. For energy and utility savings you can focus on insulation and air sealing, windows, doors, lighting and skylights, water saving plumbing opportunities, and high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. On the outside of your house, look for exterior home improvement opportunities through landscape design and gardening plus solar energy, wind and other power sources. If you are undertaking a major home renovation, an additions, or building a new home, then take the lead to ‘go green’ in as many ways as possible to save money and the environment.
