The kitchen in your Santa Cruz home offers multiple ways to improve energy efficiency. It can be challenging to have versatility, style, comfort and design while still being energy efficient. The good news is that small changes can be easy to make, without breaking your redecorating budget.
• Use the appropriate cooking utensils in your kitchen. Most electric stoves are equipped with two small burners, and two large ones. Make sure that you are using your small pans on the small burners, and large pans on the larger burners. Using a small pan on a large burner wastes energy, adds heat to kitchen, and may cause the handles to warp on the pans if they become too hot. Place lids on your pots and pans when they are on the stove, this will conserve the heat and decrease the workload on your cooling system.
• Repair dripping sink faucets in the kitchen. You can replace the faucet in your Santa Cruz home inexpensively. A few drips on a constant basis will add up to gallons of water wasted. Replacing the faucet can substantially decrease the amount of water you use.
• Run the dishwasher only when it’s full. There are several ways to save energy with the dishwasher. Make sure that the appliance itself is energy efficient. Next, scrape the dishes before you load them. This may allow you to set the wash cycle to a light or normal wash, instead of a heavy wash cycle. Set the drying cycle to air dry. Air-dry cycles decrease the amount of heat the appliance creates. These tips will save a lot of water and energy.
It's easier than you may think to update the kitchen in your Santa Cruz home using green appliances and energy-saving methods. Depending on what you buy, you may also qualify for a federal tax credit for energy efficiency.
Want to buy an energy-efficient home? Call me now at 831.662.6522 or email me at lauren@laurenspencer.com for more information.
Links:
Federal tax credit for energy efficiency
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