How to Reduce Your Energy Bill With Smart Ovens

If your energy bill has started to look like a phone number, you’re not alone. But before you blame your fridge or the kids’ endless screen time, first have a look at your oven.

Between the touchscreens, timers, and buttons that beep at you for unknown reasons, modern ovens can seem more complicated than they’re worth.

But here’s the thing: they’re also built to save you money if you know how to use them right. Stick with us, and we’ll show you how to make your unit pull its weight.

Upgrade the Way You Think About Cooking

Smart ovens aren’t just fancy boxes with extra buttons. Thanks to Wi-Fi connectivity, you can control them from your phone, which means adjusting the temperature mid-Netflix or turning off your unit while stuck in traffic is totally doable.

So, you won’t have to dash to your kitchen every 10 minutes to make sure your food hasn’t turned into charcoal.

They also come with programmable settings that do the thinking for you. These include precise temperatures, accurate timers, and energy-saving modes that kick in automatically. Compared to traditional ovens, they are faster, more efficient, and a lot more hands-off.

Preheat Smarter, Not Longer

Remember when preheating meant turning the dial, waiting vaguely, and hoping for the best? Thankfully, smart models will help you ditch the guesswork. With precise temperature control and a clear signal when they’re ready, you’re no longer stuck playing the ‘is it hot yet?’ game.

Even better, some models will ping your phone when they’re good to go. That means you can focus on more important things, like chopping veggies or sitting down for five minutes, and start cooking the moment your unit hits the right temperature.

To get the most out of it, make sure you only preheat when absolutely necessary. A lot of recipes warn against skipping this step, but unless you’re baking something delicate like pastries or cakes, your oven probably doesn’t need that much warm-up time.

If you do need to preheat, wait for the notification before popping your food in. Opening the door too early lets heat escape, which forces your oven to work harder and chew through more power.

Cook Faster and Pay Less

If your oven has a fan symbol you’ve never dared to press, it’s time to try it out. This setting uses a fan and sometimes a second heating element to circulate hot air evenly around your food, meaning faster cooking, fewer cold spots, and lower temperatures.

To save energy, try dropping the temperature by about 15°C when using convection. So, if a recipe calls for 180°C in a conventional oven, set your smart model to 165°C instead. You’ll get the same golden biscuits but with less time and power.

Used right, convection isn’t just a fancy buzzword. It’s one of the easiest ways to cook smarter, faster, and a little greener.

Put Your Oven on a Schedule

If you’ve ever stood in the kitchen, starving and waiting for your oven to ‘just heat up already,’ this one is for you. Smart models come with programmable settings that let you schedule when cooking starts and stops—no more wasted time and energy.

You can set your unit to start preheating or cooking 30 minutes before you get home, so dinner is hot and ready the moment you walk in. Just load the dish in before you leave, and let your oven take it from there.

Many models also have automatic shut-off, which means no more overcooked meals or forgetting your unit is still running while you’re halfway through your favourite show.

To make the most of this feature, use your oven’s app or control panel to create presets for your go-to meals, like Tuesday night’s lasagne or your end-of-week roast veggies. That way, you won’t need to fiddle with settings every time.

Cook Multiple Dishes

If you’re only cooking one thing at a time, your oven is basically running a marathon just to toast a single crouton.

Smart models are built to multitask, and cooking multiple dishes simultaneously is one of the easiest ways to save time and energy.

Thanks to multi-shelf designs and adjustable temperature controls, you can bake biscuits up top and roast vegetables down below at the same time.

Just remember that airflow matters, too. So, don’t overcrowd your unit or you’ll end up with uneven results and sad, soggy chips. If you’re cooking more than two dishes, rotate them halfway through to keep the heat even.

Don’t Let Grime Reduce Efficiency

Your smart oven won’t stay smart for long if it’s coated in last month’s lasagne. Just like any high-performing appliance, it needs a bit of love to run efficiently and stop your power bill from creeping up for no good reason.

First things first, wipe up spills and splatters as you go, and give the interior a proper clean every few weeks. For stubborn grime, there’s no need for harsh chemicals or expensive sprays. Instead, you can create a simple paste by mixing baking soda and water.

And while you’re at it, check the door seals. If they’re cracked, loose, or warped, your unit could be leaking heat and using extra energy to compensate.

Don’t forget those behind-the-scenes parts either. Make sure the fan is spinning freely, the lights are working, and the control panel doesn’t need a firm whack just to respond.

These small checks will help you spot problems early before they turn into expensive repairs or lead to burnt dinners.

Outsource the Elbow Grease

Sometimes, no matter how many times you scrub or how strong your baking soda paste is, your oven may just refuse to cooperate.

If the grime has built up beyond DIY levels or you’re simply not keen on crawling into your appliance with a sponge and a prayer, it’s time to call in the pros.

Contacting professional oven cleaners in your area means your appliance will get the deep clean it deserves.

Many specialists also know their way around smart models specifically, which means they’ll avoid anything that might interfere with the tech or void your warranty.