Since these are the months that I spend the most time in the kitchen, here are the tips I can pass on to help you save energy at home and save your green! This week let’s check out that stove:

• Thaw foods and cut vegetables into small pieces.  They’ll take less time to cook.

• Put lids on pots and pans and make sure they are the right size for the burners.  Foods will cook faster and use less energy.

• Clean the reflector pans under the burners – they reflect more heat when they are clean and shiny.

• If the flames on your gas oven or stove are yellow, energy is being wasted and the burners need to be adjusted.  Call an appliance repair professional.

• When your electric burners are worn and don’t work properly they use more energy.  Save by replacing them.

• Time to buy a new stove?  Choose a model that has electric igniters instead of pilot lights for more efficiency.

Get your mitts out - next week we tackle the oven!