You might be spending a lot more than you think on that six-pack of soda in the garage fridge.
Millions of people have an old refrigerator in their garage or basement. Often, it was given to them by their kitchen. Even if these old refrigerators still work, they can use up to twice as much energy as a new model that is more energy-efficient. When people are looking for ways to cut their energy bills, it may not make sense to spend up to $125 a year to keep a few sodas or beers cold.
In a home where the extra fridge is always full of food, it might be a good idea to replace it with a new Energy Star-approved fridge. You can still save up to $275 over the next five years, and the performance will be better. New Energy Star refrigerators come in a range of sizes and prices, so you don't have to buy something big or expensive (some companies make refrigerators designed just for the garage).
If the extra fridge is usually empty or only has a few batteries, sodas that have gone bad, or food that you don't know what it is, you should probably get rid of it. Think about how much more room you'll have in your garage to store tools or equipment.
If giving up your second fridge is too hard, you could get a smaller compact fridge instead. Even though these units are smaller than a regular refrigerator, they can still hold extra sodas and other small items. Also, they only use a small part of the energy that a full-size model does. Look for one with the Energy Star label and you could save up to $80 a year.
Some families may find it better to keep the old model and only plug it in when they need to store a lot of food. If you unplug the old fridge for 10 months of the year, you can save up to $105.
These models use less energy than a 75-watt lightbulb and help cut down on air pollution and greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels.
Is there something in your basement that uses a lot of power? Keeping a few sodas could cost you as much as $125 a year.
