10 ways to lower your electricity bill when cooking

Eskom have partnered with 49m and Pick n Pay to create a national campaign that focuses on creating awareness about energy consumption in the kitchen and helping to lower energy usage in domestic households as well as large commercial kitchens.

In order to become more environmentally savvy, here are 10 tips that you should try the next time you cook a meal.

1. Cover your pot to speed up cooking by 6%.

2. Use one-pot steamers and stacked steamers to cook meals on one stove plate.

3. Chop your vegetables into smaller pieces to cook faster.

4. Match your pots to the stove plates to stop heat from escaping.

5. Use the kettle to boil only the water you need.

6. Cook in bulk and save time and money by making meals you can eat the following day.

7. Don’t open the door when you use the oven as heat can escape. Be patient.

8. Save time and electricity by defrosting food in the fridge and not the microwave.

9. Cook with ingredients that are at room temperature. This saves cooking time.

10. Bake a few dishes in the oven at the same time.

Try this 6-minute prawn and chorizo risotto (using a pressure cooker) or this one-pot chicken and bean dish which is great for cooking in bulk.

To find out more about load-shedding in your area, visit this website.