Page last updated on 16th March 2026
Winter Warmers: Energy saving recipes for the kitchen
We've developed some energy saving recipes to help you manage energy use this winter. It's also useful to get a smart meter, as it helps track your energy usage in near-real time.
What's on this page?
How much energy do I use in the kitchen?
On average, we spend about 72 hours in the kitchen during the winter months and 55 hours in the summer. The average household oven is on for 64 hours from December to February alone. And this rise in energy use is adding upwards of £18 to our energy bills.* You can find out how much your oven costs you by using your smart meter.
How to save energy in the kitchen
Your smart meter and its accompanying in-home display can help track your energy usage in near-real time. Turn that oven on and see, in pounds and pence, just how much it's costing you.
On top of that, your smart meter sends automatic meter readings, so you don't need to worry about receiving estimated bills.
You could also save energy and money by using our energy-saving recipes below!
Energy saving recipes
We've teamed up with Michelin-trained Chef, Poppy O'Toole to help provide some conscious cooking recipes this winter. Check them out below:
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Slow cooker cottage pie with cheesy mash
39% of us listed cottage pie as our favourite winter warmer dish.** This one was specially designed to save on energy. Using your slow cooker instead of the oven could save you money in the long run.
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Veggie toad in the hole with onion gravy
Not only is this recipe delicious, but making your meals vegetarian could help with making things cheaper. Try out this energy saving toad-in-the-hole next time you need some comfort food.
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Air fryer blinis with creme fraiche and smoked salmon
Poopy is offering an 'all air fryer' canape trio. A sure-fire way of making a recipe cheaper and more energy efficient is using an air fryer instead of the oven. Give this creme fraiche and smoked salmon blini recipe a try next time you have your friends over!
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Air fryer crispy wontons with chilli oil
According to our research, 32% of people choose the air fryer as their winter appliance of choice. This crispy wonton recipe will show you why.
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Air fryer potato croquetas
Completing our air fryer canape trio are the potato croquetas. These delicious croquetas will leave your guests wanting more while also keeping your energy bills lower.
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I've teamed up with Smart Energy GB to get festive food ready for a cheeky dinner party with my mates. Saving energy in style with the help of a smart meter's in-home display.
For these banging blinis, drop your batter into a hot air fryer for five minutes because your air fryer will make the party prep quick and easy. Then stack them up with beetroot hummus, cubed beetroot, mackerel, cream cheese, and salmon. They are delicious.
For quick and easy wontons, add minced pork, prawns, onion, garlic, and ginger into a blender. Blitz them up. Wet the edges of your wonton pastry and then make these adorable little parcels. Then get them into the air fryer for eight minutes. They're so quick and energy efficient and I can keep an eye on how much I'm spending on my smart meter's display. And they're delicious!
For a cheeky potato croquette, get your stilton and bacon into some mash, and have a cheeky bite for yourself. I'm not sorry. Add some brie and cranberries into some more mash and then get rolling. Look at these beautiful little balls. Then cover them in flour, egg, and panko bread crumbs and then into the air fryer for 10 minutes. You can serve them up with a bit of stilton, a bit of cranberry, a bit of sage and it's a delicious energy-efficient spread for your festive celebrations.
You may also be interested in...
- Find out more about the installation process, from finding your supplier to what happens on the day.
- Discover more smart meter benefits – from bringing down your bills to reducing your carbon footprint.
- Find out how to switch suppliers and what to do when moving property.
*Savings assume a gas price of 6.9p/kWh and electricity price of 27.4p/kWh, based
on average price cap in GB for October 2023 – December 2023
**Research conducted of 2,000 UK adults who cook within the household between the 20th and 25th of October