Kitchen

Please note that the actual energy usage of each individual appliance depends on their wattage (Understanding energy units), what we give here are estimates based on the average wattage these appliances are available in.

General measures to save energy and money:

• Turn off appliances completely or unplug when not in use. Up to 40% of the total energy usage of an appliance can happen in stand-by mode, especially TVs, game consoles and computers use a considerable amount of energy in stand-by, but also plugged in charging cables use energy.

• Choose appliances with a high energy rating (see 'Understanding appliance energy rating').

• Shop around: By switching your energy provider on a regular basis you can take advantage of the cheapest rates and best offers. However be aware of the terms and conditions of your current contract to avoid penalty payments.

Fridge & freezer

• Fridge: 1-2 kWh per day

• Freezer: 1-2 kWh per day

Measures to save energy and money:

• Defrost regularly

• Open only if necessary and for as little time as possible

• Keep setting as low as possible

• Don’t put warm or hot items in the fridge/freezer, let cool to room temperature first

• A full freezer uses less energy than an empty on - to fill any empty spaces you can use water bottles or newspaper

• Replace door seals if they are worn, split or broken

Cooker/hob/oven/grill

• Cooker/hob: 1.5-2 kWh per hour - induction hobs use less energy than ceramic hobs

• Oven: 2-4 kWh per hour

• Grill: 1-2 kWh per hour

• Hood/extractor fan: 0.04 kWh per hour

Measures to save energy and money:

• Don’t preheat the oven unless absolutely necessary

• Replace the oven's door seals if they appear worn, split or broken

• Plan your meals so you can use the oven to its capacity

• Consider alternative cooking methods (e.g. air fryer, steamer, microwave)

• In the colder season if you have a solid fuel stove take advantage of that (especially for soups and stews that need to cook for a long time)

• Match pots and pans to the size of the rings on your hob

• Use lids on your pots and pans

• Use the smallest pot / pan possible

• If you need boiling water (e.g. soups and stews) use the kettle to boil the water before adding it to the pot

Air fryer

1.5-3 kWh per hour - while this sounds similar to the energy usage of an oven, food in an air fryer cooks faster which makes it more efficient than an oven.

Steamer

0.25 kWh per hour

Microwave

10 minutes/day on highest setting uses around 1kWh per week

Kettle

0.25kWh per boil (full kettle)

Measures to save energy and money:

• Only boil the amount of water you need.

• Keep kettle filled so tab water can warm up to room temperature.

• If you have a solid fuel stove take advantage and use it to boil water when you are having a fire on.

Coffee machine

1.5kWh per hour

Toaster

3-4kWh per month

Dishwasher

1.25-1.5 kWh per cycle

Measures to save energy and money:

• Only turn on when full

• Use short and low temperature “ECO” cycles

• Rinse very dirty dishes with cold water before putting them in the dishwasher

• Turn off after rinse / before the drying cycle and let the dishes air dry

Blender, chopper and other small appliances

0.05kWh per hour