An Energy-Efficient Kitchen | Teems Electric

Now that the holidays have passed, you may find yourself hoping to never spend time in the kitchen again, or at least taking an extended break from it. Grab some frozen meals and quick prep items and use this time to give your kitchen some energy-efficient upgrades.

The kitchen is one of the highest energy draws in your home, and making a few simple changes to appliances and lighting can really make a difference in your electric bill.

Energy-Efficient Appliances

Kitchen appliances that are more than 15 years old could be drawing twice as much energy as necessary.

Your refrigerator draws the most power, which makes it a great place to start your upgrade. Refrigerators have come a long way in 15 years, and you can get both the aesthetic and features you want and still lower your power bill.

Dishwashers are another great upgrade to make as they can save you not just on your electric bill, but your water bill, too. New models of dishwashers use about half the water of old ones and come with settings that allow a lot of flexibility in cleaning. Consider switching yours, and take a look at oven range options, too.

If you aren’t ready to take the dive into new large appliances, countertop upgrades can also make a big difference without the price tag. Your coffee maker and microwave are some of the most used items in your kitchen that are drawing continuous power. As with any appliances you opt to trade out, look for energy star tags that indicate they meet certain energy-efficient qualifications.

Energy-Efficient Lighting

With your fridge and stove being such superstars of the kitchen, lighting might be easy to overlook. The kitchen is such a center of so many parts of your life, though—preparing and eating meals, going through the mail and serving as the meeting place for parties—that the lighting needs to be flexible, functional and welcoming.

Lighting is one of the top expenses in almost every home, which makes adding energy efficiency to that list of needs incredibly important.

There are so many varieties of energy-efficient bulbs that it really allows you to focus on the kind of style you want in your kitchen. Like with the refrigerator, you can take aesthetic into account just as much as function. Several different kinds of lighting are ideal for the kitchen in order to meet the various demands the room is used for.

Choose warm, white LED lighting. Under cabinet strip style lights are great choices for food prep, while pendant lights make for beautiful lighting over the sink.

Lighting your kitchen at different levels can increase your functionality, but it also means only using the lights you need when you need them. Consider adding dimmer switches for the same reason and an additional layer of savings.

Even if you do take a break, the kitchen always pulls us back in and gathers family around. Make your kitchen the energy-efficient place to be.

Ready to make upgrades to your kitchen? Call us and start the process with our free assessment.