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No, you're not getting a break from the cooking. Sorry about that! LOL. What I'm referring to is using a cheaper appliance to save money. My microwave is used for just about everything except salad and it costs a fraction to run compared to an oven. When you think about how long it takes even just for the oven to heat up before the food goes in it, you can see why. Any opportunity you get to make something in the microwave, use that and pat yourself on the back for your frugal ways. :)
You can check out how much your microwave costs you in electricity usage on savingtools.com's very own electric use calculator.I'd say mine gets used an hour a day maximum between different meals, reheats and so on. It's not the most powerful wattage at 1000 watts but that only works out at $3.33 a month. My oven's gas but I'm sure it would be a lot more expensive than that even just to warm it, never mind cook with it.
It's true, most people do not like turning on the oven during summer due to the heat. The microwave is a good way to cook and to save money on the electric bill.
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I hate using the oven in the hot weather. All I can think about is how I'm running up the bill heating it up and then running up a bigger bill cooling the house down from the extra heat. We stick to salads, fresh fruit and sandwiches. Who feels like cooking when it's a hundred degrees anyway?
In summer I don't run my oven at all unless there's no way around it and in winter my crockpot is my best buddy. I knew microwaves were cheap but I didn't know they were that cheap! Mine's should be in a museum. It's an old 800 watt one that takes up half my kitchen counter and is dark brown. Both ugly and huge but it works. Only because I know what dial's what. The numbers rubbed off long ago LOL.
Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are. - Alfred Austin