Energy tips and saving experiences - Wattcher, a beautiful way to save energy

Energy consumption for cooking and cooling

Your kitchen takes about 29% of the total power consumption. So good to take a closer look. Saving in the kitchen starts with a very simple insight: heating products and cooling products takes a lot of energy. This applies for water heating (the water kettle and food pan) and air heating (oven, microwave) or air cooling (the refrigerator and the freezer).

Electricity

In the overview on the right you see the annual consumption of several electrical appliances in the kitchen. This overview is taken from a study by Energy Centre Netherlands (ECN) on the basis of a large group of Dutch families.

The list shows that electric cooking takes a lot of electricity. In addition, the dishwasher and the fridgerator-freezer are large consumers. But also note the water kettle, coffeemachines, microwave and oven. Read the tips how you can save on these large consumers

Gas

Gas consumption in the kitchen is relatively small, about 3% of the total gas consumption in the home. You can certainly save: use good heat transmitting pans and cook efficient. Even better if you have a gas cooker with glass plate, making the heat more effectively pass to the pans.

Tips for the Kitchen

Please find below some saving tips for Kitchen and Cooking. For each tip it shows how much you can save. i.e. • - 0,6 kWd • means you can save 0,6 kWh per day. You can compare these tips with the average day usage (kWd) on your Wattcher. Good luck!

		Cooling and freezing • -0.6 KWD • Switch off your refrigerator or freezer when you're not using it for a while, e.g. during holidays. Open the door to combat fungi. • -0.4 KWD • Refrigerators consume more power as they age. Modern refrigerators with energy label A+ are up to three times more efficient. An old fridge-freezer with daily condensation on it is no longer economical. Choose an energy-efficient fridge with energy label A+ or A ++. • -0.3 KWD • Open the refrigerator door as short as possible and ensure that the door seals tightly. Less cold ist lost and the fridge switches on less often. • -0.1 KWD • Put a refrigerator at least ten inches from the wall, and near central heating. The device consumes less power when the heat released on the back easily can flow. • -0.1 KWD • Defrost the freezer. A layer of 2 mm ice easily cost 10% more electricity.
		Dishwashing • -0,7 kWd • Turn the dishwasher only on when full and choose a short program if the dishes are not very dirty. This saves about 50% of electricity. • -0.3 kwd • The Eco Mode is a washing program that often takes longer, but makes more efficient use of heat and water.
		Cooking • -0,3 kWd • Many products (potatoes, rice, pasta, vegetables) are cooked in hot water. Switch of the gas / electricity earlier, because the water is warm and the products are still cooked. • -0.2 KWD • A pressure cooker cook vegetables in half the time because less water has to be heated and steam accelerates the process.
		Oven
		• -0,3 kWd • Bake at the proper temperature and not too long. The additional heating of the oven easily cost extra power. • -0.1 KWD • Preheating of the oven is usually not necessary. The oven is then quickly 10 minutes on, without anything happening. • -0.1 KWD • Also with after heating you can save energy. The oven may be turned off earlier, because it is still very hot so it is further cooking.
		Microwave • -0,2 kWd • The microwave is best used for small portions and products with high moisture content and little cooking water needs, such as vegetables. For heating larger quantities of water a stove is more efficient.
		Making coffee • -0,1 kWd • Put the right amount of coffee at a time. The coffee maker uses electricity to make coffee, but most power goes to the hot plate. It switches on every 5 minutes. So better use a thermos can to keep coffee warm. • -0.4 KWD • An espresso machine is a relatively large consumer under the coffee machines. The espresso machine must warm up and consumes more energy.
		Water kettle • -0,1 kWd • An electric kettle is useful when you require small amounts of water up to half a liter. For larger amounts gas is better. A kettle is always more efficient than an electric stove, it saves a full teapot around 0.1 KWD

Experiences of other users in the kitchen

Startled by the microwave
hello, I participate in the project with the Wattcher. I am personally very shocked by the consumption of the microwave. Now I know that such a device is turned on but only a few minutes, but still. But I now have the heating on gas? I go if I'll actually save more expensive?

Fam Rijnbeek

Two cups of tea
The good thing of the Wattcher is that you unconsciously change your behavior (after we saw that the kettle used 2000 Watts). We now cook only the amount of water for 2 cups of tea.

Ruby

Coffee out
Occasionally the Wattcher shoot up at our coffee making. It is true that after brewing a cup of coffee while the machine not to let alone.

Fam Rijnbeek

Oven
Maybe we should not bake a bread but buy the croissants. That's not cheap ... but the taste is very good.

Melis

Full dish
The biggest shock was the dishwasher: the meter rush stampede. This is now no longer half full turning

Fa vd Heijkant

Electric barbeque
I have now set the target consumption (5.5 kWd). I was shocked when I had electric barbequed on a Saturday when he was at 8.5 kWd. Luckily he dropped back to 4. You are printed on the facts with your nose.

Mrs. Kweekel

The eternal dilemma

The water kettle or still the old fashioned gas kettle? The TV programm "Green" has made a beautiful short film about this issue and put both options with pros and cons in a row. What is your experience with the dilemma, do you think it is better to use the kettle or are you still a gas heater? Share your experiences on the forum in step two.