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Home, Travel and Food: together they make up more than 60% of the average UK resident's carbon footprint. Here you'll find the latest news, research and ideas to help you cut their impact.

Give your kitchen a green makeoverPrint

Turning your kitchen into a hub of energy efficiency could help reduce your CO2 emissions, and you could save money too.

Fuel for thought

How we cook our food is one of the easiest ways we could reduce our CO2 emissions. Did you know that on average a microwave uses half of the energy of electric ovens and hobs for cooking? Most of us only use our microwaves to defrost food or warm-up leftovers, but according to a report by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, a microwave is a more energy-efficient way of cooking many foods - like fresh salmon, new potatoes and ready-meals.The report estimates that by changing cooking methods, up to 10% of cooking energy could be saved.

Not keen to increase your microwave usage? There are several other steps you can take to increase the efficiency of your hob. By cutting your vegetables into small chunks, and using just enough water to cover them, they will cook much quicker. A lid will also help to bring the pot quicker to the boil, and to really speed things up (and save energy) you can use a pressure cooker.

Sticking to the manual

Using applicances designed to do a specific job can help to save energy too. Toasting bread under the grill, for example, uses far more electricity than using a toaster. The same goes for boiling water on the hob instead of using a kettle. Electric kettles are responsible for nearly a third of all the energy an average household uses to prepare food - an amount which can easily be reduced by boiling just the amount of water you actually need rather than always filling the kettle up.

A little TLC

Just like cars, which require regular maintenance to reward us with their best performance, fridges and freezers also need a little TLC from time to time. For optimum energy efficiency, aim to keep your fridge and freezer at least three quarters full. Your fridge and freezer runs most efficiently when it's defrosted regularly. And one placed near a direct source of heat, like an oven, will struggle to give its best.

It is also a good idea to dust the condenser coils off a couple of times a year, check the door seals and ensure that the thermostat isn't on an excessively cold setting. Contemplating upgrading? A newer, more efficient fridge freezer generally uses about 60% less energy than a 10-year-old model, but be sure to check its energy efficiency (rated from A++ to G). And keep in mind that larger appliances often use more electricity than a comparable, smaller appliance, so match the fridge's size with your requirements to avoid wasting energy.

Given the number of appliances in a kitchen, it is easy to be confused by which are the biggest consumers of energy. An energy monitor can easily take care of that. It will help you see how much electricity you are using when you are using it and it shows how much it costs. It could also help you save cash, according to DirectGov. Households who fit energy monitors generally reduce their energy use by up to 15% in the first year of using the monitor.

Waste not, want not

Every year UK households throw away tonnes of fruit and veg.A large percentage of this is food that could easily have been eaten, and in addition to this, we throw away plenty of inedible organic items like banana peels and egg shells as well. Instead of sending these items to landfill, why not compost them? Not only will you save carbon emissions (one year's composting at home could typically save around the same amount of CO2 as your kettle produces annually), you'll also have an excellent, money-saving source of nutrient-rich plant food. Read more in our section onfood waste.

Five ways to... save electricity in the kitchen

  • Don't fill the kettle, only boil what you actually need
  • Defrost your freezer regularly to help it run more efficiently
  • Use lids for pots to bring them to the boil faster
  • Allow leftovers to cool down before putting them in the fridge
  • Match the size of the pot you use to your hob's rings

Key facts

  • Electric kettles are responsible for nearly a third of all cooking-related energy usage in an average household 
    • UKhouseholds throw away  tonnes of fruit and veg annually, all of which could be turned into compost
    • An energy-efficient fridge freezer uses a third of the energy of a 10-year-old model

Sources

[1] On average a microwave uses half of the energy of electric ovens and hobs for cooking
Information Source: DEFRA, Comparing energy use in microwave ovens with traditional electric fuelled methods,


[2] For cooking, pre-boil the water in a kettle as they do the job using less energy compared with your gas or electric hob. You can make further savings by filling the kettle just to the required amount of water or just a little more… similarly when making toast a toaster is much more energy efficient than a gas or electric grill.
Information Source: Energy Grants Advisor Tips section.

[3] Your fridge and freezer runs most efficiently when it's defrosted regularly.
Information Source: Which? Guide to using less electricity

[4] A newer, more efficient fridge freezer generally uses about 60% less energy than a 10-year-old model, but be sure to check its energy efficiency (rated from A++ to G)
Information Source: NiDirect Government Services, Household appliances that save energy, water and money, The wider issue

[5] Households who fit energy monitors generally reduce their energy use by up to 15% in the first year of using the monitor.
Information Source: Directgov, Saving electricity with a home energy monitor, How much electricity can I save?

[6] Every year UK households throw away tonnes of fruit and veg
Information Source: WRAP

[7] One year's composting at home could typically save around the same amount of CO2as your kettle produces annually
Information Source: Recycle Now, Why Compost?

Team Green Britain and London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Ltd (LOCOG) do not endorse any of the products, companies, organisations, opinions or websites that have been mentioned in this article. The content of this article has merely been provided as background to, or discussion on, various topical issues relating to the environment and it is not necessarily representative of the views of Team Green Britain and LOCOG. Further, any figures and calculations noted in this article are estimates (unless otherwise specified), and may vary in light of numerous factors and readers are advised to undertake their own research in relation to the facts and figures applicable to their particular circumstance. Certain facts and figures shown have been sourced from third parties. Team Green Britain has not verified information sourced from third parties and Team Green Britain cannot take responsibility for the accuracy of these facts and figures.

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