Appliances in the kitchen are responsible for a major part of your home energy usage. Here are a few tips that should help save energy (and money) in your kitchen:

* Try to keep your refrigerator door closed. You can waste a considerable amount of energy when continually opening and closing the refrigerator. When getting ready to prepare a meal, take all ingredients out at once. Also, make sure that the door has closed completely after you are done using the refrigerator.

* Place your freezer or refrigerator away from heating equipment, heater vents and direct sunlight. Provide adequate open space on the sides, above and behind for unhindered air flow.

* Set the refrigerator's temperature control between 37 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer near 0 degrees for maximum savings. The Food and Drug Administration also recommends these temperatures to avert quick development of bacteria

* Keep your freezer or refrigerator full, but be careful not to overdo it. Overfilling forces the compressor to run longer. Keep foods slightly separated on the shelves, ensuring that they do not block the unit's interior air vents.

* Keep the unit's condenser coils free of stains and unobstructed for the most energy conservation.

* Clean door gaskets with plain, warm water or a kitchen cleaner that leaves no residue because a snug-fitting door gasket is important for the efficiency of your appliance.

* Seal all moist items stored in your refrigerator. Moisture may transfer into the air, causing the unit to run harder.

* If you own an older extra freezer with very little stored in it, use the primary freezer and unplug the older one.

Cooking Appliances

* If you own a large and a smaller oven, you will save energy by using the smaller one whenever possible.

* Save time and energy by using one oven to cook the complete meal. A cake or pie can go into the warm oven as the main dish is finished.

* Using a pressure cooker reduces cooking time to one-third that of standard cookware.

* Warming foods, plates and platters with the oven's already stored heat after broiling, requires no additional energy. If the food must be kept hot for a relatively lengthy period of time, adjust the oven's temperature no warmer than 140 to 190 degrees.

* Think about cooking with a more energy efficient microwave oven, portable electric frying pan, grill, or toaster/broiler instead of a full size oven. Grill outside or prepare cold dishes to preclude heating up the kitchen and steam to the air inside your home. Microwave ovens use less than half the power of a standard oven and cook food in about 1/4 of the time.

* will start boiling faster than those that are not covered, allowing quicker results and less energy use.

* Choose pots and pans that evenly cover the heating elements. Use pots that have even bottoms, straight sides and snug-fitting lids that hold heat and permit lower temperature settings.

* Cook using steamers, outdoor grills or casserol meals to minimize the use of your stove's heating elements and conventional oven.

* Use only enough water to create steam and prevent sticking when cooking fresh or frozen vegetables.

* Ensure that reflector pans under your stove's heating elements are stain free and bright. The reflector pans reflect heat toward the bottom of the cookware.

* Do not cover oven racks with foil. It impedes the flow of heated air and makes it necessary for the oven to work longer to cook food.

* Cook following precise time and temperature instructions. Accurate timing reduces the need for repeated opening and closing of the oven door to check on cooking progress. Each time the door opens, the oven loses 25 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

* On an electric stove, begin with more heat then decrease the temperature as the food starts to bubble or boil. Switch off the heating element a few minutes before cooking time is up. Electric stoves remain hot for a few minutes after they have been switched off.

* During the summer, do most of your heavy cooking when it is cooler, i.e. early-morning or evening hours. If possible, use the stove top and avoid using the oven.

Jim Navary has been a freelance writer and researcher for over thirty five years covering a broad range of topics. He is also a licensed real estate salesperson in the Commonwealth of Virginia specializing in Petersburg VA real estate and, in particular, Fort Lee VA homes for sale.