This post is written by Guest Blogger Carrie Lauth of Natural Moms Talk Radio.
We’re all trying to make changes to reduce the amount of energy we consume in our homes. Since the kitchen is one of the busiest areas of our home, let’s start there.
Here are a few tips to help you save money and use less electricity in your kitchen.
Make sure your fridge is set at 36 – 38 degrees. You might need to purchase a refrigetator thermometer to gauge this accurately, but the investment will pay for itself. You don’t want your fridge any colder than 36 because you’re just wasting energy and some items in there will freeze – who wants frozen salad? Yuck!
You’ll need to move the thermometer around so you can gauge the coldest and warmer spots in the fridge, and use this information to determine how you organize things. Obviously stuff that goes bad more quickly like meats and dairy products need to be in the colder areas.
Don’t place your fridge close to the oven or a sunny window where it will be warmer and the compressor will kick on more frequently.
Check the seals of your fridge. Here’s how: place a dollar bill in the door and close it. If you can slide the bill out easily, the seal may be too loose which means you’re wasting energy. Clean the seals regularly to cut down on the gunk too. A simple wipe down with vinegar works well to kill mold and germs and to freshen things up.
Vacuum your refrigerator coils. The more dust that sits on the coils, the less efficient the fridge is at staying cold. Use a brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to do this.
Keep your fridge 3/4 full for maximum efficiency. If it’s any more full, air can’t circulate well. But if your fridge is too empty, it has to work harder to keep things cool. Place gallon jugs of water in your fridge if you need to.
The next time you have to buy a fridge, make sure it’s Energy Star certified. Look for the yellow sticker on the model you want when you go shopping. And although they’re less popular in this country, consider a refrigerator that has the freezer in a drawer on the bottom. They’re 10-25% more energy efficient than the traditional side by sides.
Use glass to store your leftovers. Not only will you avoid nasty chemicals like phtalates and BPA that are often components of plastics, but glass also gets colder – helping your fridge conserve energy.
About the Author: Carrie is the mom behind Natural Moms Talk Radio podcast and blog. Stop by and say hello and share your own crunchy tips!
photo credit: Average Jane
The idea of having gallons of water to take up space is a good one I’ve used in my ‘extra fridge’ at the old house.
I should start doing it in my apartment now because the way I shop, there is usually very little in the fridge from one day to the next. Lots of empty space.
Thanks for a great post Carrie!
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