Save energy while you cook

IN AUTUMN salads and barbecue meals gradually make way for hearty soups, roast dinners and baked desserts.
That means less time at the barbie and more time in the kitchen.
Energy bills can mount up over the colder months and much of the extra cost arises around the kitchen table.
Here are 10 tips that will not only save energy, but time and money as well.
1. Use timer settings on your heater to make sure your rooms are at a warm temperature when you get home.
2. Don’t preheat your oven. It’s not necessary except for food requiring high temperatures and slow cooking times.
3. Try baking on extra cold nights. It helps to heat up the kitchen and adjoining rooms.
4. Cook complete meals. Cooking several dishes simultaneously in the oven cuts back on time and gas or electricity costs.
5. Cook by time and temperature. Resist the urge to peek. You loose several degrees each time you open the oven door.
6. If your oven has a self-cleaning cycle, turn in on directly after using the oven. Less energy is required to reach cleaning temperature this way.
7. Use a lid. Covering pots and pans saves energy, money and cooking time. Up to 30 per cent of the heat is wasted without a lid.
8. Use a pan that completely covers the hotplate. Using one even three centimetres smaller than the hotplate is enough to waste 30 per cent of the cooking energy.
9. Use as little liquid as possible when cooking your food. You need only an eighth to a quarter of a litre of water to cook vegetables or potatoes.
10. Drastically reduce soaring energy consumption costs by installing your dishwasher away from your refrigerator. The heat and moisture of your dishwasher makes your refrigerator work harder.
Tips supplied by Westinghouse