Run your refrigerator for less

Your refrigerator uses more electricity than all your other kitchen appliances combined. To keep its energy costs down, clean the coils twice a year, which improves efficiency by 30 to 50 percent. Your fridge and freezer run more efficiently when theyre full. Put water containers in the fridge and ice bags in your freezer to keep them filled. Keep the refrigerator setting between 35 and 38 degrees and the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees F.Refrigerator door seals wear out over time. Test your seal by closing a dollar bill in the door. If it pulls out easily, replace the seal.If your fridge was made before 2001, its using at least 40 percent more electricity than new Energy Star models. If youre replacing your fridge, buy an Energy Star model and recycle your old one. Dont hook up the old one in the basement or garage an inefficient refrigerator costs as much as $280 a year in electricity. Any money you save buying food in bulk and storing it in an inefficient second fridge is lost in electric costs.