Smart Kitchen Upgrades That Actually Save You Money on Utility Bills

Replace old refrigeration and freezer units with energy efficient smart refrigeration and freezer units.

The modern kitchen is the nerve of the home and is utilized on a daily basis for cooking, family dinners and daily tasks. However, one of the highest energy-using parts of your house is also this. The kitchen is a heavy consumer of electricity, gas, and water with its high-draw cooking appliances, perpetually running refrigeration systems, using hot water and high frequency lighting. A kitchen upgrade doesn’t need to be a luxury or a purely cosmetic project – with careful planning and consideration, targeted kitchen upgrades can help to make the room more energy efficient to help cut your energy bills every month. The Ultimate Home Renovation may also incorporate clever kitchen improvements that make it more efficient, more comfortable, and more cost-effective.

New smart technology and green design help you enjoy the benefits of energy-efficient living without sacrificing performance, convenience and home comfort.

Be able to select refrigerator attributes that will reduce energy loss.

Probably the only thing in the house that is on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is a refrigerator (and freezer). The cooling units in the old building are fitted with an older compressor system and have inferior thermal insulation and thus are consuming far more electricity than necessary to keep the food products cool at the correct temperature. Advanced compressor technology and digital monitoring systems are added features of the modern “smart” refrigerators, which take another step toward energy conservation.

Many smart models use variable speed inverter compressors which adjust the cooling output based on internal cooling loads rather than cycling on/off between high/low loads. In addition, homeowners can use their smartphone app to view inside the fridge while on the other side of the grocery store to reduce the number and frequency of refrigerator door openings—one of the largest causes of refrigeration loss and energy waste.

Other methods of heating are more energy efficient than gas. Use induction cooking for improved energy efficiency.

A large portion of the energy lost from the conventional gas burners and electric coil cooktops is lost as heat escapes from the kitchen. With induction cooking technology, however, magnetic cookware is heated directly by the electromagnetic field, resulting in less heat loss and the transfer of thermal energy directly to the food. The induction cooktop only converts 90% of its energy into the cooking vessel, while a gas burner would only convert about 40% and an electric coil 70%.

Water comes to a boil much quicker on an induction cooktop, which decreases the total operating time of burners and helps cut back on usage of kWh. A traditional kitchen will also warm up the air inside the kitchen which will make your air-conditioning system have to work harder than it would in a traditional kitchen to keep the kitchen cool and comfortable when cooking, whereas in an induction cooktop the air temperature will not rise as it does in a traditional kitchen. Oh also cooking with a smart oven will be a lot quicker, because it will feature a convection function, built-in temperature probes and quick preheat time; every watt will be a watt of cooking.

Have smart dishwashers and energy efficient water and energy consuming equipment. Avoid wasting water and energy with the smart dishwasher.

Hand washing is thought to be more water efficient than having dishes cleaned in a washing machine. Indeed, a dishful of water can be up to 20 gallons when washed under running water, but most modern dishwashers, when energy-efficient tested, use less water and provide better sanitation due to the water-heating elements found in the dishwashers.

Smart Dishwasher Sensors & Eco-Drying Features:

Smart dishwashers go the extra mile with water sensing technology and cycle optimization for water and power saving. The built-in optical sensors which detect the cleanliness of wash water automatically adjust the washing time, water pressure and temperature. Water is sprayed by high efficiency spray jets where it is required, and eco-drying cycles dry by the condensation drying process and/or by opening the door at the end of the cycle to utilize the natural drying current (not energy consuming drying elements).

Installed low-flow and touchless smart water taps.

Water heating and distribution costs are another big cost factor in home utility bills. Tap water is often used in the kitchen to rinse dishes, wash hands, and wash fruits and vegetables and can consume hundreds of gallons of water per month. This waste can be eliminated at the source with a low-flow, touchless, smart faucet. The touchless sensors stop the flow of water right away when they are removed from the water spout, which means there is no unnecessary water flowing.

Use leak detectors on under sink water systems.

Along with smart under-sink leak detectors, these products can offer much protection from potential structural damage. They are small and monitor changes in water pressure and pipe moisture and notify smartphone owners as soon as an unexpected leak is detected, avoiding damage to the structure and water loss of thousands of dollars.

Improve lighting and heating facilities in kitchen area. Take advantage of the light and temperature in the kitchen.

A second important part in the kitchen energy management is the control of lighting and room temperature. Older incandescent or halogen floodlights are very heat producing and consume a lot of power.

Install Smart LED lights and occupancy sensors.

Old lighting solutions can be upgraded to smart LED lighting solutions so as to help to save up to 80% of lighting energy consumption and with reduced ambient heat. When no movement has been detected, kitchen lights are automatically turned off after a set time, so there will be no lights left on at night. Programmable lighting profiles can be used to lower ambient light in the evening or to lower overhead light when natural light is abundant.

A Smart Thermostat can be used with Kitchen Controls.

Connect your kitchen to a central smart thermostat for a responsive HVAC system, to avoid wasting cooling during cooking time.

Save energy by using Smart Plugs and Power Strips to reduce Phantom Loads.

Many kitchen appliances even leak electricity when they are not in use. This continual power wasting or “phantom load” can be wasting up to 10 percent of an electric bill for homeowners annually. Smart power strips and smart plugs will help to eliminate phantom load issues.

Switch computer off when not being used.

Non-essential devices can be completely switched off from the main electricity supply at night or during business hours, with the help of smart plugs. The advanced smart strips offer advanced power control with master control outlets that automatically turn off standby power to peripheral equipment when the main appliance is switched off, using the minimum power needed.

Conclusion

Smart kitchen improvements are one of the best methods for lowering the running costs of your home in the long run while improving home comfort. Homeowners can make some strategic improvements to their kitchens so they are slowly able to remove the biggest energy eaters: refrigeration, precision induction cooking, water conservation and automatic lighting controls, and begin to transform normal routine kitchen tasks into a workhorse of a utility savings machine. Smart kitchen technology will make your kitchen remodels pay themselves back every month, and over the years your remodels will be a contribution to a modern, sustainable and cost efficient home for years.