Michele Gastl
The Refrigerator
Replace an older model. This is the biggest energy guzzler in
the kitchen, representing on average 9 percent of total monthly
energy use. If yours is more than 15 years old, consider upgrading
to an energy-efficient model, which could save you $35 to $70 a
year on electric bills. If you keep a second refrigerator for beer
or frozen foods, it's probably costing $50 to $150 a year to run.
If you don't need it, pull the plug.
Dust the coils. Keep the refrigerator a few inches away from the
wall and clean the condenser coils once a year. A layer of dust on
the condenser fins (the cooling unit) forces a refrigerator to
work harder.
Defrost regularly. If you still have a manual-defrost
refrigerator, be sure to deice it often. Frost buildup lowers a
refrigerator's energy efficiency.
