Guest Post - Suzanne Grant - Saving money in your kitchen

Savor energy savings in the kitchen

10 penny-pinching tips from Progress Energy Florida to save money and electricity in the kitchen

Cooking up energy savings in the kitchen can be quicker and easier than clipping coupons.  Energy-savvy cooks can whip up economical meals while reducing energy use and lowering their monthly electric bill with these simple tips from Progress Energy Florida:

1.      Pick the right pot. Match your pot size to the burner because heat is lost when small pots are used on large burners. Over 40 percent of the burner’s heat is wasted when a six-inch pot is used on an eight-inch burner. Using the right sized pot on an electric range can save about $35 a year according to the U.S Department of Energy. If you have copper-bottomed pots and pans, use them as they heat more efficiently.

2.      Keep stove reflector pans clean to reflect more heat upward.

3.      Turn off the oven or burners when the food is almost ready and let existing heat finish the cooking.

4.      Shorten the cooking time and save energy by using tight-fitting covers on pots and pans.

5.      Keep the oven door closed. Oven temperatures drop 25–30 degrees every time the door is opened to check on food.

6.      Use microwaves, crock pots and toaster ovens whenever possible and save up to 30 percent of the energy required to cook in a conventional oven. An oven costs more than 30 cents an hour to operate. A toaster oven costs just about 7 cents per hour to operate. Microwave cooking uses one-third to one-half of the energy required to cook most foods.

7.      Choose the air dry setting on the dishwasher to save energy and keep your dishwasher from heating up your kitchen.

8.      Set your refrigerator temperature between 35 and 38 degrees to keep foods safe and energy-savings high. The refrigerator uses the most energy of any household appliance.

9.      Shop in bulk and stock up during sales to keep your freezer full. A full freezer uses less energy than an empty one. For maximum savings, consider filling your freezer with containers of water when space permits.

10.  Keep your refrigerator running efficiently by regularly vacuuming the coils.

For more energy-saving tips, visit www.savethewatts.com.

Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles, including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Progress Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. For more information about Progress Energy, visit www.progress-energy.com.

Suzanne Grant

Spokesperson

Progress Energy Florida

299 1st Ave. N.

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

www.progress-energy.com