We can say that the oven is one of those devices that has a fairly high electricity consumption. Although not all models are the same, the truth is that they will always be an important part of energy expenditure. Now, you can use them more optimally and thus try to save. In this article we talk to you about a mistake that you could be making, sometimes, and that will make you spend more.
It’s about preheating the oven. Yes, there are situations where it may be necessary or advisable. However, in many others it is totally dispensable and what you are going to do is consume more energy than you should. Therefore, we are going to explain everything you need to know in order to save on your bill.
Preheating the oven, a mistake
From IDAE, the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving, they indicate that we must make oven preheating an exception. If we need longer cooking times, what they recommend is to turn off the oven 10 minutes before the end and thus take advantage of the residual heat.
Keep in mind that, when preheating the oven, you will have to open the door to put the food in. It is precisely in this process, when opening the appliance, that the most heat is lost and, therefore, the hardest it will have to work again to increase the temperature and be able to heat the food that you are going to put in.
They indicate that, generally, this preheating is not necessary and it is something that we can avoid and thus achieve energy savings. Think that every minute you have it on, it will be consuming electricity. If you also open the door, you will have to spend more to recover the lost heat.
Therefore, whenever possible it is a good idea to avoid preheating the oven. Additionally, it is helpful to use the residual heat and turn it off before it finishes heating the food. You will save some energy and if it is something that you apply continuously, the savings can be significant each month and you will notice it on your bill.
Good oven maintenance
Beyond this advice, another recommendation that you can put into practice to save is to have good maintenance of the oven. Make sure it is clean, that you have taken good care of it and there is nothing that could cause increased consumption. It is the same thing you should apply to any other appliance.
Also, be careful what you put near the oven. For example, it is not a good idea to have it close to the refrigerator. By releasing heat, it would cause the refrigerator to have to operate at higher power to maintain a good temperature. Likewise, it could affect other devices that you place next to it. Therefore, it is best to isolate it so that it does not affect other appliances.
In short, if you want to save when using the oven, a good idea is to avoid preheating it when it is not necessary. You can also choose to turn it off a few minutes before and thus take advantage of the residual heat, to reduce energy consumption when heating the food. You could also use a thermostatic faucet and other home automation devices to save.
