Save electricity in the kitchen and reduce co2

1. Pay attention to the capacity of the kettle

An electric kettle is more efficient at heating water than an electric stove because less waste heat is released. This is especially true for smaller amounts. If you boil more water than necessary, not only your energy needs but also your CO emissions needlessly increase _{2 .} If one liter too much is brought to the boil every day, it causes 19 kilograms of CO ₂ annually. if you pay attention to the correct amount of filling into the kettle, you save on average 16 euros per year .

2. Bake without preheating - cook with residual heat

Very few foods need to go into a preheated oven. As a rule, the oven only needs to be turned on when a casserole, pizza or cake is inserted. Cooking times then vary depending on the oven and are slightly longer than those indicated in the recipes or on the packaging of the finished products. The energy consumed is used more efficiently for this. The oven and, by the way, the electric hotplates can often be turned off a few minutes before the end of the cooking time, because the residual heat is sufficient for cooking or baking.

3. Cooking with a lid

When cooking, always use a lid that fits your pot tightly and a cooktop that matches the size of the pot. This will allow you to reduce energy consumption during cooking by half. In this way, more than 30 kilograms of CO can be saved annually ₂ and 27 euros .

4. Choose an energy-saving refrigerator

Refrigerators and freezers work continuously and in the worst case they are responsible for a quarter of your electricity consumption. The potential for energy savings is therefore particularly large here: A modern device in the best energy efficiency class consumes up to 50 percent less energy than its older counterparts. If you want to buy a new refrigerator, you should definitely pay attention to the energy efficiency shown on the energy label. It is often even worth replacing a device that works even after several years thanks to the saved electricity costs. Replacing a very inefficient cooling device is also worthwhile considering the overall environmental balance: According to the Institute, significantly lower energy consumption compensates for environmental pollution caused by production. The new, efficient device should then be used as long as possible, repairs can extend its life. Replacing a very efficient device would only make sense if the new one used 50 to 80 percent less electricity.

5. Defrost the refrigerator and freezer

A slight layer of frost on the inner walls of refrigerators and freezers is completely normal. If the frost thickens or a layer of ice forms, the energy consumption will increase. In this case, you should defrost the device - preferably regularly, approximately twice a year. The continuous operation of an average iced cooling device causes an additional 25 kilograms of CO ₂ and melts glaciers elsewhere. 5 millimeters of frost increases the electricity consumption of the refrigerator by approximately 30 percent. For a class B device, this amounts to more than 10 euros per year.

6. Quickly close the refrigerator door

Every time you open the refrigerator door the cold escapes. And every time the refrigerator compensates with a lot of energy. In an average household, around 12 kilograms of unnecessary CO is produced every year ₂ by leaving the refrigerator door open. This amounts to approximately 10 euros per year on the electricity bill. (AI, co2online, Jens Hakenes)