• Keeping all that food cool costs energy and money.r??frig??rateur image by dead_account from Fotolia.com
  
  A significant portion of your home's total energy consumption occurs in your kitchen. Stoves and ovens generate intense heat using electricity or gas; refrigerators use energy to get rid of heat and keep items cool. Buying energy-efficient kitchen equipment conserves energy and can save you money. Looking for kitchen equipment with the Energy Star rating is a good place to start. According to Family and Consumer Sciences, appliances earn the Energy Star rating by being significantly more energy efficient than the minimum government standards require.
  
  

Efficient Refrigerators

• In most households, the refrigerator reigns as the appliance that consumes the most energy. The typical fridge consumes 900 kilowatt hours per year. Manufacturers of refrigerators are creating more efficient products by including better insulating materials, more efficient compressors, surfaces that transfer heat more effectively, and more precise thermostatic mechanisms. To achieve an Energy Star Rating, a refrigerator must be 20 percent more efficient than the government standard for efficiency.
  
  

Efficient Dishwashers

• Dishwashers consume a lot of energy by using hot water and electricity to clean dishes. Energy-efficient dishwashers use less hot water and more effective cleaning mechanisms. They are built with higher-efficiency motors and sensors that can accurately determine when dishes are clean and dry enough for the machine to stop running. To achieve an Energy Star rating, a dishwasher must be 13 percent more efficient than the government standard for efficiency.
  
  

Toaster Ovens

• Toaster ovens use far less energy than conventional gas or electrical ovens. This efficiency occurs because toaster ovens are smaller and use electricity rather than gas for heating. A well-insulated toaster oven can be 50 percent more efficient than a conventional oven. While it will not always be convenient to use a toaster oven instead of your conventional often, doing so whenever you can will increase your overall kitchen efficiency.