Energy efficient use of appliances without chargers
Kitchen appliances without a charger include all the appliances you might find in the kitchen which do not have a charger, such as food processors, coffee makers, espresso machines, electric kettles and blenders.
Switch off the appliance after use
The key advice about appliances without chargers is to switch them off when you have finished using them; otherwise they continue to use power in the standby mode.
Coffee makers and electric kettles
Coffee makers and electric kettles use only half as much energy as you would otherwise use by boiling water in a kettle or pan on the cooker hob. Electric kettles boil water much faster.
- Decant the coffee into a thermos flask when it has finished brewing.
- Only boil the amount of water you need.
- Descale the coffee maker or electric kettle regularly, otherwise the boiling time will be extended.
Toasters
Toasting bread in a toaster saves you up to 90% of the electricity you would otherwise use by making toast under the grill or in the oven.
Other appliances
Compared with an electric hob, many small appliances such as deep fat fryers, electric waffle irons and electric doughnut pans are already energy saving because they have a built-in heating element which ensures there is only minimal heat loss.
Watch out for standby
Most of these appliance types have no standby consumption, but please note that this does not apply to all of them.
If an appliance with a power supply can only be switched off between the power supply and the appliance, it can cost up to 40 kWh (circa EUR 8) extra per year. So make sure you switch off at the mains.
Meter your consumption with a SparOmeter
Borrow or buy a SparOmeter to keep track of the power used by your appliances. This accurate meter measures the power consumption in both the on and standby modes.
Page last updated 06.10.2008