There are some simple steps that can help us have a more efficient kitchen. Simple measures that, in addition to helping to reduce our bills, reduce our ecological footprint. And that in our efforts to help you create homes that are more respectful with the environment, we wanted to share with you.
El saving electricity and the rational use of water are two of the keys to achieving a more efficient kitchen. Translating these two points to concrete measures, we find that acquiring efficient appliances and knowing how to make good use of them, limiting the flow of the tap and taking care of both lighting and insulation are essential.
Efficient home appliances: energy rating
Efficient household appliances are those that, within their range, consume less energy to perform the same function. To know the efficiency of each device, we will resort to the energy label; a compulsory rating scale in Europe for a long series of household appliances.
Current and new energy label (as of March 1, 2021)
The energy label allows us to quickly and easily know the capacity of said appliance to perform its function with a lower power consumption. To do this, it is enough to know the classification scale by letters and colors that it presents. The green color identifies the most efficient equipment, while the red color identifies the less efficient ones. Among the most efficient equipment we can also distinguish 3 additional classes: A +, A ++ and A +++. The latter are the ones that we should acquire if we want the savings to be significant; consume up to 70% less than average.
You should know, however, that this scale will be replaced as of March 1 of 2021 progressively on a scale from A to G. They thus intend to simplify the energy label to make it easier to understand. So if you are going to buy a new washing machine, washer dryer, refrigerator, lamp, screen or television from those dates on, you may find yourself with this new label.
Good use of appliances
The good use of electrical appliances, especially those such as the refrigerator whose electricity consumption is so high, is essential to have a more efficient kitchen. He spends a 31% of total consumption, Did you know this information? Do not install it near a heat source (radiator, oven, electric stove) and make sure that enough air circulates around the appliance is key for proper operation.
Regarding its temperature, it is not advisable to set the selector to an internal value lower than 5º C in the refrigerator, and -18º C in the freezer. Also, keep the refrigerator door closed and place and order food properly inside the fridge will help you use less electricity and save energy.
You have heard it a thousand times: do not rinse the dishes before putting it in the dishwasher and filling it completely will help you save water and energy. In addition, the use of a good detergent and proper maintenance in which a felt cleaning is carried out once every two weeks will contribute to its proper functioning. And the washing machine? Washing clothes at 40ºC instead of 60ºC can save up to 55% energy.
Smart power strips
Devices in standby mode eat up to 10% of the electricity bill of all European households. How to avoid overpaying for these devices? Investing in a device that close the power outlet to devices in standby or sleep mode.
What if we want to have the steaming coffee pot when we wake up? So we can go further and bet on smart plugs and power strips, more sophisticated devices to save electricity. Its main function is still to control the on and off of these devices, but they go one step further allowing us its programming or control from a mobile application. We talked more about them a few weeks ago, do you remember?
Flow limiters
Each Spaniard consumes, on average, about 166 liters of water a day between domestic and municipal uses. Water is a scarce good and its sustainable consumption depends on each one of us. As insignificant as it may seem, saving water at home is important and it is enough to know how to turn off the taps and place flow reducers in these for it. Did you know that with these you can save between 18% and 47% of water? You will get a more efficient kitchen in an economic way.
Windows and lighting
Making the most of natural light by opting for light colors that contribute to greater luminosity is key when it comes to saving electricity. When this is not enough, the ideal will be to bet on low consumption light bulbs. Do you know that changing the fluorescent lamps in the kitchen LED lighting represents a saving of 50%?
In addition to letting in natural light, the windows can also let in heat and cold. Doors and windows represent the main points of temperature loss and checking that they are in good condition is important in order to control our heating and air conditioning costs. Do you want to know how to do it? Sincerely, our keys for some energy efficient windows.