I did not know how MUCH energy and money microwaves saved.....

Keep your microwave clean and you'll be able to maximize
its energy. This means less electricity used, less money
spent, and less time cooking. Microwaves are between 3.5
and 4.8 times more energy efficient than traditional electric
ovens. If it costs ten cents to cook one item in a microwave,
it would cost forty-eight cents to cook the same item in a
standard oven. If everyone in North America cooked
exclusively with a microwave for a year, we'd save as much
energy as the entire continent of Africa consumes during
that same time.