Saving in the Kitchen

Winston and Tino wanted to share a few different ways to reduce your energy consumption in arguably the most important area in the house… the kitchen. 

When we aren’t out and about visiting our favourite beaches or dog-friendly cafes in Hobart, often you’ll find me in the kitchen and Winston taking a well-earned rest on any bed in the house he so chooses.

We’d like to discuss two of Winston’s two favourite kitchen appliances - the fridge (where his food is kept) and the oven (where he tries to snaffle up anything that comes out of it!) 

The Fridge

Keep it full

This may sound a little strange but a full refrigerator works better. A fully stocked refrigerator has less room for warm air. If you’re struggling to fill your fridge, a neat little trick is to throw in a couple of filled up water bottles or extra dog rolls!

Where is it?

Be mindful about where you keep your fridge (or second fridge) Fridges have to work harder in warmer climates i.e. a hot garage (maybe not such a problem in Tasmania during the winter!)

Check the settings

Keeping your fridge, cool, but not too cool can also be a really useful way of reducing your energy consumption. It’s worthwhile doing your own research as to what your optimal temperature should be.

Sealed up safe

Lastly look after your fridge. A couple of easy ways you can do this is making sure the seals are working correctly and making sure the coils are clean. These will help to ensure your fridge is running as efficiently as possible.

The Oven

Double up

I love to cook and Winston loves to beg for food. When using the oven to cook, maximise your usage by throwing in in a second meal to keep for next time.

Teeny or Tiny

Another clever hack is to chop your vegies into smaller pieces so they cook faster. Chopping up an extra carrot for the dog seems to be a regular occurrence at our house!

Clean screen

Try keeping the oven door clean so you can check your food without having to open the door. 

Off-Peak feast

My last suggestion is to take advantage of off-peak rates by trying to cook during these times (i.e. weekends).

One last message from us is don’t forget to rug and stay warm whenever you’re venturing outside the kitchen area.