Budget cooking tips to lower your energy bills this winter

Let’s be honest: nobody likes opening their energy bill these days. With prices going up, it can feel like cooking at home is costing more than it used to. While we can’t control the cost of electricity or gas, we can make smarter choices in how we cook. In this article, we’ll look at a few simple ways we can save energy, cut costs, and still enjoy delicious home-cooked dinners during the colder months.

How to cook using less energy

With a bit of planning and organisation, you can make meals that are cost-effective and use less energy. Let’s start with some clever cooking techniques that can save you time, money, and energy.   

Batch cooking. This is a brilliant way to get ahead, save energy, and get better value from your ingredients. Cooking larger quantities at once, such as soups, stews, or casseroles, can help reduce energy consumption. You can freeze extra portions, so you always have tasty, homemade meals, ready for busy evenings. Cooking a big batch of bolognese or chilli and eating it over several evenings takes far less time and power than starting dinner from scratch each night.

One-pot meals. Cooking everything in a single casserole dish or baking tray helps save energy and means less washing up (saving your energy too). Many delicious and budget-friendly meals can be made this way, for example, chicken and veggies cooked together on a tray or one-pan pasta dishes, curries, or soups.

No-cook ideas. You can create nourishing meals without turning on the oven, microwave, or even the cooktop. Just remember to combine protein, high-fibre carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. Meals like a Niçoise salad made with tinned tuna or a hummus and veggie platter can be a balanced meal served with bread, and it doesn’t require any cooking at all.

Meal planning. By taking the time to plan meals for your week, you can also reduce energy costs. It can encourage you to make smarter use of your appliances. You can plan meals by cooking time and prepare similar dishes together, so you use the oven and cooker top less.

Low-energy appliances

Making the most of your kitchen appliances can also make a big difference. Some kitchen appliances use a lot less energy than conventional ovens. That’s not to say that you need to buy any new devices. But if you do have some of these appliances, there are smart ways to use them to help reduce your energy consumption.

Pressure cookers: This device can cook food much faster by raising the boiling point of water, which saves energy. If you enjoy bean casseroles or lentil curries, pressure cookers are a great appliance to use. They can cut cooking time by up to 70% compared to conventional cooking methods.¹ It’s also a healthy way to cook things like vegetables, as you retain more vitamins and nutrients by cooking them in a sealed pressure cooker.² Vegetable curry with chickpeas and lentil soup are just two examples of recipes that work really well in a pressure cooker.

Slow cookers: Despite cooking for longer periods, slow cookers use very low power. According to some studies, they use less than a tenth of a conventional oven, making them very energy efficient.² Slow cookers are perfect for preparing hearty winter meals such as French onion soup, beef stew, or lentil dhal. You can pop the ingredients in the morning and have a hot evening meal ready 6–8 hours later.

Microwaves: For quick meals or reheating, microwaves are highly efficient because they heat food directly, not the air around it.³ They use much less energy than an oven and are ideal for steaming vegetables, cooking instant porridge, or warming pre-cooked grains.

Air fryers: Air fryers also use less energy than traditional ovens because they heat a smaller space quickly with circulating hot air.⁴ They are brilliant for crispy foods like fried potatoes or roasted vegetables in smaller quantities.

You don’t need to buy new appliances, but using your oven, microwave, or cooker top wisely can help you cook food more efficiently. Choosing the right appliance for each dish can also lower your energy bills.

Smart shopping tips to save energy and cut costs

Shopping with energy in mind is the first step to cooking on a budget and saving energy. Making a good list for a big shop once a week saves on transport costs to get there and saves your own time and energy. Having a plan means you can prepare meals in advance and are less likely to make impulse buys. Also, with a few thrifty swaps, you can make your money go further. Here are some useful ingredients to add to your shopping list.

Quick-cook ingredients. Look for ingredients that need minimal preparation or cook very quickly. This means less time on the cooker top or in the oven. Noodles, couscous, and quick-cook oats are all great ingredients to have on your list.   

Pantry staples. Keeping your cupboards stocked with versatile and affordable items such as rice, pasta, beans, lentils, tinned tomatoes, and spices means you’ll always have a base for a meal. Tinned fish such as tuna, salmon, or sardines are quick proteins that you don’t have to cook. These items have a long shelf life and can be transformed into so many dishes.

Fresh frozen produce. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often just as nutritious as fresh, and sometimes even more so, as they are flash-frozen at their peak. Since they are already prepared, they usually cook more quickly. They also reduce waste because you only use what you need. Stock up on peas, corn, mixed vegetables for dinners and berries and frozen fruit for smoothies and baked desserts.

Cheaper cuts of meat. Less popular cuts such as pork shoulder or chicken thighs are more economical and can be delicious when slow-cooked. You can also reduce your meat consumption by bulking out meals with beans, lentils, or other vegetables for a healthy, cheaper and plant-friendly meal.

Reduced price and own brands. Keep an eye out for end-of-day discounts on fresh foods. Many can be frozen and used in the future, so you’re taking advantage of the savings and getting ahead. Swapping branded items for supermarket own brands can also significantly cut your weekly grocery bill, often with little difference in taste or quality.

Clever energy-saving habits

Saving energy does require a little more thought and planning, but once you get into a good routine, it will become easier. Here are a few practical ideas to help cut down on power use.

• Use appliances wisely: Plan your meals so you can group dishes that use the same cooking method or appliance on the same day. For example, if you need to use the oven, try to cook multiple items at once to make the most of the heated space. You can even cook different meals in the same oven. When you’re making dinner, pop in a tray of granola on the bottom shelf for breakfast the next day.  
• Make batch-cooking part of your routine: Design your weekly meal plan around your batch-cooked meals. This means you’ll have ready-to-eat options that only need minimal reheating, saving you time and energy during busy weekdays.
• Reinvent leftovers: Turn yesterday’s dinner into a new, exciting meal for today. Leftover rice can become fried rice, roasted vegetables can go into a wrap, or cooked meat can be added to a stir-fry. This minimises waste and avoids using energy to cook some of the components for a new dish.
• Store food correctly: Proper storage can save time and money by stopping good food from going in the bin. This means more money in your pocket and less energy used. Once you've batch-cooked, divide the food into individual portions and store them safely in the fridge or freezer. This makes it easy to grab a meal when you need it and ensures food stays fresh.
• Reheat the right way: When it's time to reheat, microwaves are generally the most energy-efficient way because they heat food directly and quickly. Avoid reheating in a conventional oven if possible, especially for small portions.

Small savings add up

As energy costs rise, learning to cook more efficiently is a useful habit. By making smart choices about your cooking methods, the appliances you use, your shopping list, and how you plan and store meals, you can reduce your energy consumption and food waste. This is good for both your wallet and the planet.

Cooking nourishing, enjoyable meals doesn't have to be expensive or use lots of energy. It just requires a little clever planning and a few simple shifts in your kitchen routine.