These small appliances will change everything!
Uf, is that energy bill stressing you out every time it lands in your mailbox or inbox? This is an unfortunate and increasingly common reality for a lot of people out there, as utility costs seem to do nothing but climb. But don’t despair! Hopefully, powerful solutions exist, and they’re often hiding in plain sight. We are here to tell you more about them. One of the most effective and surprisingly simple ways to reduce those staggering costs is to strategically use small kitchen appliances. It’s a small shift in your daily routine that can lead to massive savings over time.
If you reflexively cook all your meals on the power-hungry electric stove and also frequently use your full-size conventional oven for everything from roasting a chicken to reheating a slice of pizza, your energy bill can dramatically exceed what you were expecting. A large oven, for example, has to heat a huge empty box of air just to cook a small dish, which is incredibly inefficient. One powerful solution for this is to start incorporating some other, smaller appliances into your cooking process. Even if it sounds counterintuitive to use more gadgets to save energy, this can absolutely save you a significant amount of money when done correctly.
The secret is to strategically use these highly-efficient appliances to optimize your entire home process and, in doing so, substantially lower that monthly energy bill. It’s about using the right tool for the right job. And guess what? This money-saving mindset isn’t only about the kitchen. There are a variety of clever tricks you can employ in just about any room of your home to cut down on energy consumption without sacrificing comfort. In fact, you might even find you’re more comfortable than before! Read on and find out all you need to know to become a master of energy efficiency.
1. Air fryer
This is undeniably one of the most popular and buzzed-about kitchen appliances of the moment, and for very good reason. You can see ads and glowing reviews for air fryers everywhere you look, and most probably you have some friends who passionately declare that this is one of the best things they have ever bought. They’re not just saying that; the hype is real. This gadget has revolutionized weeknight dinners for families and single people alike, combining convenience with incredible results.
What we like the most about the air fryer is that besides making your life infinitely easier in the kitchen, it also directly helps you to pay less for energy. An average air fryer costs just 20 cents per hour to operate, a shockingly low figure. How does that stack up? This is often less than half of the energy the classic gas or electric oven uses! The primary reason for this efficiency is its compact size and powerful convection fan, which circulates hot air rapidly and evenly, eliminating the need to heat a large, empty oven cavity.
Another critical thing to consider is that air fryers cook many types of food significantly faster than a regular oven, which means you’ll run it for much less time, compounding your energy savings. Think about it: a full-size oven can take 10-15 minutes just to preheat, while an air fryer is often ready in 2-3 minutes, if it needs to preheat at all. If you believe that this might be a good purchase for you and you don’t know where to start, keep in mind that the learning curve is incredibly easy. Most models are very intuitive.
There are a lot of fantastic air fryers available for decent prices, fitting almost any budget. And the best part? Most of the meals that you can cook in an oven—like roasted vegetables, chicken breasts, salmon fillets, and even baked goods—can also be cooked to perfection in the air fryer, so there is no need to completely change your diet or eating habits. It’s an easy switch that also happens to deliver crispier, more delicious results for things like french fries and chicken wings, often with far less oil.
2. Window A/C unit
An A/C unit is an absolute must, especially if you are living in the South or any region prone to sweltering heatwaves. The summers are becoming incredibly hot, and being inside the house without a way to cool down can get unbearable and even dangerous at times. While central air is a common solution, it can be incredibly expensive to run. One way to keep specific rooms cool and also have a cost-efficient strategy is to try the humble but mighty window A/C units. This is the essence of “zonal cooling”—only cooling the space you’re actually using.
Compared to running central air conditioning for the entire house, these targeted window units can cost 25% less to operate, or even more if used strategically. A huge advantage is that you can install them virtually anywhere you have access to a standard window and a nearby electrical outlet. You can also use them combined with your central AC as a powerful way to supplement cooling in problem areas. This hybrid approach allows you to set your main thermostat several degrees higher, saving money, while the window unit handles the rest.
For example, if you have a sunroom, a west-facing bedroom, or a home office packed with heat-generating electronics that always gets hotter than the other rooms, you can install a window A/C unit to solve the problem directly without over-cooling the rest of the house. Or, in another common scenario, if you like to sleep in a very cold room but the rest of your family is not a fan of arctic temperatures, you can install this type of A/C in your bedroom. In this way, you get the comfort you need, and the price of the overall energy bill will not rise to shocking levels. It’s a win-win for everyone’s comfort and your wallet.
3. Microwave
It costs about 20 cents per hour to operate, which means it uses dramatically less energy than a regular oven—up to 80% less, in fact! This incredible efficiency is why a microwave is one of the best and most underrated appliances to have in your kitchen, as you can use it every time it makes sense and save a surprising amount of energy. So often, there is absolutely no need to run your large oven for a small task, and the microwave is there, ready to do the job in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the cost.
Most of the time, people relegate the microwave to simply heating up leftovers or making popcorn, but this is not the only thing these versatile appliances are capable of doing. You can use them to cook entire meals from scratch. Now, we are not talking about elaborate, big holiday meals, but for something small—let’s say a few servings of a side dish or a quick lunch—it will work perfectly. Think about steaming fresh vegetables in minutes with just a splash of water, cooking a fluffy baked potato in under 10 minutes, or even making a delicious “mug cake” for a single-serving dessert.
For example, you can use the microwave to quickly cook corn on the cob or steam a bag of broccoli. You can prepare the side dish using the microwave’s efficiency while your stove or main oven is reserved for the main course you want to cook. By splitting the tasks, you’ll still use significantly less total energy than if you used only the large, slow oven for both dishes. It’s all about thinking smart about your cooking workflow.
While microwaves are amazing, it’s crucial to use them safely. Try to avoid cooking raw eggs in the shell, as steam can build up and cause them to explode. Be cautious when using the microwave for most takeout containers, especially those with metal handles or foil, which can spark and cause a fire. It’s also wise to avoid anything packaged in single-use plastic, like yogurt cups or butter tubs, as they are not designed for high heat and can warp or leach chemicals into your food. Always transfer food to a microwave-safe dish for best results.
4. Electric blanket
Feeling that familiar chill in the air? Your first instinct might be to walk over to the thermostat and turn up the heat for the whole house. But maybe turning up the heat is not the best idea, especially if the weather outside is just brisk, not truly arctic. Now, you can certainly crank the furnace, but the chances of regretting it when you see the jaw-dropping energy bill later are pretty high. Heating an entire home is one of the most expensive utility costs for any household.
Instead of turning up that costly central heating system, a far more economical and cozy choice would be to buy an electric blanket. Maybe this is not one of the first appliances you were expecting to see on this list of energy savers, but it’s a very useful one, and it can save you a bundle of money during the colder months. Think about it: why heat every room in the house when you’re just snuggled up on the couch watching a movie? An electric blanket delivers targeted heat exactly where you need it most—on you!
The energy savings are truly impressive. A modern electric blanket uses around 100-200 watts of power on its highest setting, while a typical space heater consumes a massive 1,500 watts. That’s a staggering difference! By using the blanket, you can turn your main thermostat down by 5, 10, or even 15 degrees and remain perfectly toasty. Many modern blankets also come with fantastic features like dual controls, so partners can each choose their own perfect temperature, and auto-shutoff timers for safety and peace of mind.
For example, if you want to save a significant amount of energy overnight, you can turn the heat down for the whole house and slip under your pre-warmed, heated blanket. This will drastically reduce your energy bill while ensuring you have a comfortable and warm night’s sleep. You can also customize the heat level according to your personal preferences, something you can’t do with a central furnace. It’s the ultimate combination of personalized comfort and smart savings.
5. Bread machine
If you are among the many people who absolutely love fresh, warm bread, then this is one of the appliances you simply can’t skip. The thought of delicious, homemade bread with a perfect crust and a soft interior is tempting enough, but what if we told you it could be paired with a steady, lower energy bill? Where can I sign up, right? This seemingly niche appliance is a secret weapon for both carb-lovers and savvy savers.
Making bread from scratch is actually far easier than it seems, and the modern bread machine is your trusted ally during this delicious mission. Besides producing incredible, preservative-free bread, the bread machine will also help cut your energy costs significantly compared to using a conventional oven. However, this depends on how many loaves of bread you want to make. If you want to bake a lot of loaves back-to-back, the oven might eventually become more efficient. But, as noted by utility experts like Edison International, utilizing a bread machine can help you conserve a great deal of energy if you just bake one loaf at a time, which is what most families do.
The number of loaves is important because the bread machine can cook only one at a time, and if you run it multiple times, it will consume energy for each separate cycle. The magic of its efficiency lies in its design. A large oven wastes a tremendous amount of energy heating its entire cavernous space just to bake a single loaf. A bread machine, on the other hand, has a small, perfectly-sized, and well-insulated baking chamber, meaning very little heat is wasted. Plus, many bread machines can also prepare dough for you to bake elsewhere—think pizza dough, dinner rolls, or cinnamon buns—still saving you the energy of the kneading cycle.
6. Electric fan
If you want to stay cool during warmer months and also not pay a fortune for it, one of the most useful and classic appliances is the simple electric fan. While they are often overlooked in favor of powerful air conditioners, their value is immense. Electric fans cost just a mere penny or two per hour to operate, making them one of the most frugal ways to beat the heat. It’s important to understand that they are not cooling the air like an A/C does; instead, they create a wind-chill effect. The moving air helps perspiration evaporate from your skin, which is your body’s natural cooling mechanism. This makes you *feel* significantly cooler and more comfortable, even if the actual room temperature hasn’t dropped a single degree.
For such a laughably low operating cost, these appliances are absolutely perfect when you want to feel more comfortable but you don’t want to spend too much money or fire up the energy-guzzling central A/C for a mildly warm day. There are many types to choose from, including classic box fans, oscillating pedestal fans, sleek tower fans, and permanent ceiling fans, each offering unique benefits for circulating air in a room.
Better yet, you can combine the power of an A/C with an electric fan to maximize efficiency and comfort. Try this trick: turn your A/C unit on, but set it to a higher, more energy-efficient temperature than usual (say, 78°F instead of 72°F). Then, put the fan in front of it and direct it towards you to get a steady stream of wonderfully cool air. You’ll feel just as cool as you would at the lower A/C setting, but you’ll be saving a lot of money. The best part is that since most fans are portable, you can easily move them around the house and use this same trick in any room, any time it is needed.
Lowering your power bills becomes surprisingly easy when you have the right appliances and know how to use them smartly! It’s all about making small, conscious choices that add up to big savings. So, after learning about these powerful yet thrifty gadgets, do you feel ready to make a change and take control of your energy bill?
Want to change your life and achieve true energy independence? You can try exploring solar power for your home: Solar Power for Beginners: How to Design and Install the Best Solar Power System for Your Home (DIY Solar Power)
You should also read: Save Water at Home: 5 Easy Tips That Make a Big Difference
