Pateley Bridge slow cooker workshop aims to lift the pressure on rising energy bills

The workshop organised by Nidderdale Plus, working in partnership with Community Energy Ambassadors, was targeted primarily at families.

It was one of a series of demo sessions that are now running across the county.

The workshops are an opportunity for attendees to learn about how slow cookers work, the cost savings compared to an oven, what they can be used for, top tips, recipe ideas and inspirationon the best way to use them.

North Yorkshire County Council Stronger Communities Team have given Community Energy Ambassadors funding to buy slow cookers for these workshops and give them to families/households who would most benefit.

Laura Crossley, who attended the event said: “I had no idea that slow cookers are so versatile!

“You can use them to bake cakes, make bread, cook up soups, as well as make casseroles.

“As I am a single mum, it will be great for me to be able to use a slow cooker to make meals for me and my son, as I can prepare meals when he is at school, and not have to rush about making a meal in the evening.

“I was also surprised about the low cost of running a slow cooker.

“At a cost of just 7p per hour to run, I can really save a lot of money in comparison to using a traditional oven.

“It really was a great event and I intend to make full use of my new slow cooker.”

The workshops come at an important time to help counteract the effects of inflation and the cost of living crisis.

Many families are experiencing unwelcome cuts to daily lifestyles and measure energy consumption more carefully as bills rise.

Slow cookers also make life easier for families on the go who have less time to cook.

They are both easy to use and provide a real home-made dinner reducing the temptation to grab already made food products with less nutritional value.

Helen Flynn, Executive Director at Nidderdale Plus, said: “We are very aware of how the cost of living crisis is impacting everyone, and any chance to learn more about how to cook nutritious meals at a low cost is beneficial to people who live in Nidderdale as they go away with a complementary slow cooker!

“We are very grateful to Kate Urwin from Community energy Ambassadors for partnering with us to run this activity in Nidderdale.”

Kate Urwin from Yorkshire Energy Doctor CIC said: "This was a brilliant event in Pateley Bridge hosted by Nidderdale Plus.

“We want to help people reduce their energy bills and slow cookers are a great way to save energy and money whilst cooking.

"They are also much more versatile than you may think!

"The session also served as an excellent opportunity for us to share other important information on the costs of other household appliances, energy saving tips, schemes to help with bills and issues such as carbon monoxide awareness".