Think outside of the room: A hot kitchen in summer makes you sweatùand the AC work harder. Conversely, a home-cooked meal in the winter will warm you from the inside. Choosing a meal that fits the season is one of the simplest ways to conserve energy in your home.
ò Size matters. DonÆt use your range oven to cook a small meal. A smaller applianceùa toaster oven or microwave, for exampleùis a wiser choice. (Buying a small appliance you hardly use is not, however.) A microwave can reduce the energy you use cooking by about two-thirds, while a toaster oven can cut energy consumption in half. ò Pan size matters too. ôYou donÆt want the pan to be hanging over the edge of the burner, and you also want the pan to be fully heated by the burner,ö says Ackerly. Choose a pan that matches the size of the burner.