Cooking and hot water tips

Get kitchen savvy and save energy

A lot happens in the kitchen – it’s the heart of the home and a hive of activity. It’s also the perfect place to set your sights on saving energy and cutting back on your bill.

Be choosy!

Choices everywhere… especially in the kitchen. The dos and don’ts may seem a little overwhelming but here’s some basic tips on the energy efficient choice.

Cook toast in a toaster, not under a grill, boil water in a jug, not in a saucepan on a stove. (But make sure you don’t overfill the jug, use the minimum that you need – and fill it from the cold tap, not the hot!) Microwaves use less electricity than conventional cooking methods (like ovens). So use them whenever you can. Or if not, try a toaster oven for smaller meals, or an electric frypan. Saucepans should fit properly on the stove plate, have a flat bottom and the correct lid.

Bake it away

Don’t keep opening the oven door when you bake – losing all that hot air is best for people not ovens! Make sure the door seal is in good working order. Bake efficiently! Cook two or more dishes in the oven at once, or better still, have a baking day and bake everything at once. And when you’re finished, turn the oven off several minutes before you take out your food – then leave the door and let the last of the heat warm your house! On the stove top: don't over-fill pots with water when cooking vegetables, and stack steamers on top of each other and try to simmer your food – you don’t need to boil it furiously (plus: your veggies will taste so much better!).

Let’s keep it clean  

A bit of extra spit and polish really does make everything work a little better! Hot plate reflectors will divert heat better when they are tidy, microwaves cook faster and oven rangehoods will work more efficiently when it’s clear of grease and baked in residue.

Some like it hot

But don’t make it too hot: set your hot water cylinder to 60°C, the minimum recommended storage temperature. Insulate the pipes for the first couple of meters from the hot water system. You can get piping insulation from the hardware store. Switch off your hot water system when on holidays or if you're going away for a week or more. Importantly, don’t use small amounts of hot water when cold water will do.