I’m the Potato Queen of TikTok – here is how I save money and energy in the kitchen

WINTER is official here meaning that many of us will be looking for hearty and low cost recipes to cosy up with.

However, increasing energy bills can leave many of us with a bitter aftertaste.

Thankfully, Fabulous has teamed up with TikToker Poppy O’Toole to help you feed your family as temperatures plunge.

If you are worrying about what is on the menu this winter, you aren’t the only one.

A study of 2000 adults by Smart Energy GB found that 40 per cent of people will spend more time cooking during winter than at any other time.

With hungry mouths to feed at home, it’s estimated that a person will be preparing food for a staggering 72 hours from December to February.

Compare this to the summer months, with consumers cooking up a storm for 55 hours from June to August.

Not only is cooking taking up more of our time, but we are more concerned than ever about how this will impact our energy bills.

In fact, 51 per cent of those surveyed said that they are concerned about a potential spike in bills and 79 per cent are keen to learn more energy efficient recipes.

Before you pick up a pan though, there is one simple way you can dramatically save on energy without changing how you eat.

By installing a smart meter with a display, you can easily track how much you are spending before you serve up dinner.

Thankfully, seeing how much energy you are using in real time can force us to change our cooking habits – especially with us using more appliances than ever.

Shockingly, a study by OnePoll suggests that 39 per cent of home cooks are using more appliances than ever before which can rapidly increase our energy bills.

While the oven is still our weapon of choice in the kitchen, with 43 per cent using it, the air fryer has rapidly risen with 27 per of people now using one at home.

Though this can be hard to stomach, the smart meter is a simple way of keeping ourselves in check.

Victoria Bacon, the director at Smart Energy GB, explained: “As we head into the colder, winter months where many people spend more time in the kitchen, small changes to the way we cook can make a tangible difference to the amount of energy that’s used.”

“Smart meters are installed at no extra cost by your energy supplier and come with a handy in-home display which allows you to track your usage in near-real time.”

If you are still looking for winter warming recipes though, it’s a good idea to check out Poppy O’Toole’s energy efficient recipes video.

Dubbed the ‘Potato Queen’ on TikTok, this Michelin-trained chef has some fail safe ways to rid you of winter blues.

From the perfect slowed cooked cottage pie to an epic air fryer toad in the hole, you’ll be guaranteed to have empty plates over the winter.

Not bad when you are saving money at the same time!