I’ve been making this everyday cooking mistake that could be wasting energy and racking up my bills, according to an expert
As the cost of living continues to rise, many of us are actively looking for effective ways to save energy at home and keep our household bills down.
And while I make a conscious effort to switch off lights when leaving a room or unplug my electronics from standby, it turns out that my everyday cooking habits could be quietly hiking up my gas bill.
According to an energy expert, homeowners should start by looking at how they cook meals if they really want to save energy. What’s more, this common habit is often overlooked — and I’ve been guilty of doing this.
So if you’re after a simple way to slash your energy bills, avoid this common cooking habit.
Not adjusting the stove burner properly
Since I cook on a gas range, I often turn the heat up high at first before turning down the burner. However, this simple routine might actually be driving up energy costs, meaning it's essential to find the right balance.
“The point is to use the heat you're actually getting some benefit from, rather than having a flame running much higher than the job requires,” advises Steve Ferguson, director of Jefferson Gas. “Pay particular attention once food has reached temperature.
“If you're simmering something, you don't need the same amount of heat that you needed to bring it up to temperature in the first place. That's where people can end up using more gas than necessary simply because they haven't adjusted the burner.”
Another common mistake I often make is not covering a pot with a lid. This is especially the case when boiling water. Keeping a lid on will retain heat inside more effectively, bringing water to a boil faster and using less energy.
“People often concentrate on how high the flame is, but the pan itself makes a difference,” adds Ferguson. “If you're heating something without a lid, a lot of that heat is escaping into the kitchen rather than staying with the food.
“It's such a basic thing that it's easy to overlook, but putting the lid on means the heat is doing more useful work.”
In fact, the Energy Saving Trust suggests simply popping a lid on your pot or saucepan can cut your energy consumption by roughly 10%. Which is a substantial saving.
So the next time you’re boiling water for tasty pasta recipes or steaming vegetables — remember to keep the lids on to avoid rising costs.
Top energy-saving cooking tips
- Don’t keep opening the oven door to check food. This will lose heat, which uses more energy to get back to the right temperature
- Always match the pan to the right-sized burner to save heat
- Don't heat excess water and only the amount that you actually need
- Don't cook in a large pan for a small amount of food
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
