A recent survey from Wren Kitchens found that 86% of the UK population are consciously trying to be more sustainable. Recycling, reusing and repurposing are now everyday occurrences in homes across the country, as the nation tries to reduce their carbon footprint, while doing ‘their bit’ for climate change.

Whilst recycling and reusing products that would otherwise end up in landfill is a great step towards lowering our carbon footprint; one part of the home that definitely needs a rethink is the kitchen.

Most expensive appliances revealed

The freezer costs the most to run, with the average household spending £280 on it annually. It also produces the largest amount of CO2, exerting 297kg every single year. In second place is the fridge, costing £210 to run annually, and creating 297kg of CO2 every single year.

This is perhaps unsurprising, given that these two kitchen appliances have to run 24 hours a day, in order to do their jobs.

At the bottom end of the scale, the microwave is the cheapest to run, and produces the least amount of CO2 annually, at £4.86 and 0.5kg respectively. This is closely followed by the toaster, costing £7.30 annually, producing just 7.75kg of CO2 each year. Both of these appliances are used for approximately five minutes per day – the lowest usage on the list of kitchen appliances.

How to save energy – and money – in your kitchen

Whilst the use of these appliances is unavoidable, there’s no denying that they could be greener. Take a look at these tips to help you reduce the amount of energy used by each of your appliances, to save you money.

Fill your freezer up

It takes more energy to keep air cold, than it does to keep food cold. If you fill your freezer up with meals for your family, then your freezer won’t have to use as much energy to keep the temperature down.

Leave your fridge door shut

If you’re taking multiple ingredients out of your fridge to prepare lunch or dinner, avoid leaving the door open for prolonged periods of time. The reason for this, is that the fridge has to use more energy to reduce the temperature again, so always remember to shut the door.

Turn your oven off at the plug

The majority of us are guilty of leaving our oven on standby when we’re not using it, but by turning it off at the plug, it won’t use any energy whatsoever – meaning you’re not spending money on something you’re not using.

Use energy-saving mode on your dishwasher

All dishwashers have an energy-saving mode, which will conserve half the water typically used in a cycle; meaning that less energy is used, as less water needs to be heated. To save energy further, lower the temperature of the water – dishwashers tend to reach up to 140 degrees Celsius, but if you can turn it down to 120 degrees Celsius, you can save money whilst conserving energy in your kitchen.

Only boil the water you need in your kettle

Whilst it can be tempting to fill your kettle up to the top so you don’t have to keep refilling it, it’s actually costing you more. Instead, only fill your kettle with as much water as you need for your tea round; otherwise the energy used to boil excess water will go to waste.

Invest in a reliable toaster

Ultimately, a toaster doesn’t use too much money or energy, so the best thing you can do to keep costs down is to purchase a reliable toaster. One that lasts for years and is effective will exert less energy than the production and distribution of a new one that you’ll need to buy, should your toaster break.

Don’t overuse your microwave

Whether you’re heating up a ready meal or defrosting a dish from your freezer, make sure you stick to the recommended time on the product’s pack. This is a win-win situation, because not only will you avoid using extra energy unnecessarily, but it also means you’ll avoid burning your food!

Discover your appliance’s energy ratings

When you’re looking to purchase a new kitchen appliance, did you know that you can see how energy efficient it is? Every single appliance comes with a sticker, that rates how environmentally friendly they are.

Rated from A+++ (the best rating), through to D (the worst), check this sticker before you purchase your next fridge, microwave or kettle, as it could help you to save both money and energy.

Ultimately, while these tweaks are very small, if you follow all of the tips on this list, by the end of the year you could have saved yourself significant costs, whilst helping the environment.

Full information at Wren Sustainable Kitchens