Kitchens are often the hub of a house. So it's no surprise they're also one of the biggest hitters when it comes to energy bills.
A decent chunk of change goes out of the pot every year. But the good news is there are plenty of ways to reduce your energy costs in the kitchen.
Below we've served up a platter of tasty ideas to cut your usage - including a little-known fact about saucepans!
1. Make more of your microwave
According to Energy Saving Trust, using a microwave is far more energy efficient than cooking on a traditional gas or electric cooker when you’re heating up small amounts of food.
2. Don't boil water in a pan
Forget waiting around for a big pot of water to heat up on the stove. Simply fill up your kettle with only the amount of water you need, whack it on and then transfer your boiling water to your pan once it's ready.
3. Monitor your gas and electricity usage
Keep an eye on what you're spending on gas and electricity. Monitor how much gas and electricity you're using and how much it's costing.
4. Don't keep the cooker on while cooking pasta
We've all been cooking pasta wrong - and wasting money and energy while we're at it. Energy Saving Trust says to turn off the heat a couple of minutes before your meal is fully cooked. Electric cookers, in particular, take time to cool down and your food will continue to cook in the pan.
5. Use the correct size pans
When using the cooker, select the smallest pan necessary to do the job. Using an unnecessarily large pan could mean you're wasting energy and money. Also, keep the lid on as this helps to trap heat, so you can cook things quicker.