A kitchen is filled with inspiration, love, and fun. It’s a good place to de-stress and grab a snack after school or work. The time spent in the kitchen means it’s essential to be energy efficient. You can purchase energy-efficient cookware and appliances to boost your long-term savings.

Refrigerators are most efficient when full, as long as there is circulating air. Cooling the appliance while it’s empty can waste energy and money by overworking the motor. It can also make it so you need to repair your refrigerator sooner. Ice can also block your freezer and cause it to work harder to keep things cool. Stick to the manufacturer’s suggested recommendations.

Don’t peek inside the oven while it’s cooking! Your oven has to work overtime to compensate for lost heat each time you open the door. Use a timer or turn your oven light on to check on your dish instead. You can also turn your oven off a few minutes ahead of time to allow your food to finish cooking without using extra power.

Use the dishwasher over handwashing. It’s a myth that dishwashers are huge energy wasters. However, installing an energy efficient dishwasher can save more energy than running hot water from the faucet to clean dishes. To maximize savings, only run a full dishwasher and air dry instead of using the heated cycle.

These tips will help you to have a great kitchen that saves you time and money. Hopefully you’ll take these tips into consideration when creating/updating your kitchen.