Although using our cookers and ovens is not the most harmful thing we can do for the environment it does represent three per cent of the average persons co2 emissions. So that means there is always room for improvement. Doing things such as using less water when boiling vegetables and using a lid on the pan will mean it will take less time to cook them. In turn this means you will generally cook for less time and use less energy. Gas ovens generally output less co2 than electric ovens, although they do use more fuel they are still better for the environment because of the output. So if you are buying a cooker try to opt for a gas oven. In terms of energy consumption microwaves use far less energy than ovens do and so if you are planning on reheating food or defrosting vegetables use a microwave for this.

When using a cooker to prepare a meal common sense should ensure you use less energy. Cutting food into smaller pieces means they will cook faster and simmering food rather than boiling it at a really high temperature will ensure less energy consumption. One pot meals are always a good idea as they cut down on the amount of rings you will have on, on your cooker. It will also cut down on washing up, thus cutting down on water and equaling less energy used. All aspects of using a cooker will result in energy consumption but we can make the more sensible decisions which will mean lowering our individual carbon footprints. [Read more...]