Leave the oven door closed during cooking. Each time you open the door, you lose about 25-50 degrees of the heat.

Kitchen appliances

Refrigerator and freezer

An image of a refrigerator. After your water heater, your refrigerator is typically the next costliest appliance to operate. These tips can help you take a bite out of the cost of running your refrigerator:

  • Avoid placing a refrigerator or freezer in your garage or on your patio. During the summer, an older model refrigerator in your garage or on your patio can cost $15-20 a month to operate.
  • Keep your refrigerator or freezer full, but not overcrowded. Use water containers or bags of ice to fill empty space.
  • Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Manufacturer recommended temperatures are 34-40 degrees for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and zero to five degrees for the freezer section. Test the exact temperature by placing an outdoor or refrigerator thermometer on the middle shelf overnight.
    • Video demonstration of refrigerator savings
  • Check the door gaskets on both the refrigerator and freezer to make sure they are in good shape and form tight seals. Close the door on a dollar bill; if you can remove the bill without feeling any friction or tightness, you should consider replacing the gasket.
  • Clean the coils on the bottom or back of the refrigerator several times a year to keep the unit operating properly.
  • Consider replacing your primary refrigerator if it is more than 12 years old. A new energy-efficient refrigerator uses less electricity. When buying a new refrigerator, look for the ENERGY STAR® label.

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Dishwasher

Approximately 70-80% of the energy used to wash dishes goes to heating water. Here are some suggestions to help your dishwasher run more efficiently:

  • Models with built-in water temperature boosters can save as much as 10% on water heating costs by allowing you to set the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees.
  • Use the "energy saving" button on your dishwasher or air-dry your dishes and save up to 20% of your dishwasher's electricity cost by eliminating the heating function.
  • Run your dishwasher on a full load.
  • Run your dishwasher during the cooler parts of the day, early morning or late evening, when your air conditioner will have to work less to reduce the added heat nd humidity from dishwashing.

Range and oven

    Video demonstration of refrigerator and oven energy savings tips Video demonstration of cooking solutions
  • Reduce the amount of indoor cooking during the summer months; cook with an outdoor barbeque.
  • Minimize heat loss by using flat bottom pans with tight fitting lids that match the size of the burner.
  • Don't preheat your oven for long cooking foods, and turn off the oven 15 minutes prior to completion.
  • Don't preheat the oven longer than absolutely necessary.
  • Leave the oven door closed during cooking. Each time you open the door, you lose about 25-50 degrees of the heat.
  • Use your microwave oven to keep your kitchen cool and save on cooking time.
  • Prepare your foods when the kitchen is the coolest, usually during the early morning. You can get the most out of your oven or range by using it to capacity. If possible, cook everything at the same time.

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