In a typical house, the appliance that uses the most electricity is the refrigerator. Here are some things you can do to help reduce the amount of energy used by your refrigerator.

1 - When buying a new refrigerator, make sure you get one that is energy efficient. All new appliances show the expected energy usage on a sticker in the store. In addition, the sticker shows the range of energy usage consumed by other refrigerators of the same category. Make sure the refrigerator you buy is on the extreme low end of energy usage.

2 - Don't keep your refrigerator and freezer so cold. Adjust the settings so that your refrigerator is as warm as possible while still doing its job.

3 - If your freezer is not full, fill it up with crumpled newspaper. The crumbled newspaper will reduce air movement in the freezer, acing as insulation. This in turn will reduce heat loss so your freezer has to run less to stay cold.

4 - The number one thing you should do: vacuum the condenser coils on your refrigerator at least every six months. The coils will either be under the refrigerator or behind it. Either way, they tend to build up dust and dirt, and this greatly reduces the efficiency of your refrigerator; it can reduce efficiency by up to 25%. This results in your refrigerator running a lot longer, consuming electricity the entire time. If you want to make a small but noticeable dent in your energy bills, vacuum the coils on your refrigerator.