Frozen savings

Thirsty for a cold one? Do you know where it is in your fridge? If so, you're already doing a good thing for the environment.

By opening up the refrigerator door, grabbing the bottle, and immediately closing the door, you're cutting out significant energy waste that would occur if you spent a few minutes searching for your quarry. 

More tips to chill your energy bill... 

Insulate. There are a number of ways to make a dent in that percentage for little or no cost. Closing that freezer or refrigerator door quickly is one of the best. But if the seal around the door is broken, or the door doesn't stay closed, then you're pouring electricity into a leaky vessel.

Fill the space. Refrigerators use an average of 15 percent of a home's energy. One way to cut waste is keeping the refrigerator full. An empty refrigerator takes a lot more energy to get back down to temperature once the door is closed than a full one.

Even jars and pots filled with water will help maintain temperature. It's especially helpful in the freezer, where a few extra ice cube trays can make a big difference. Also, let foods cool before transferring them to the refrigerator.

Dust the coils. The coils in back of the refrigerator diffuse heat from the compressor. If they're caked with insulating dust, they have to work harder to accomplish their cooling mission. Periodic dusting or vacuuming will help the fridge operate more efficiently.

Location, location, location. It may seem obvious, but don't position the refrigerator next to the stove, oven, dishwasher, or a radiator. That only causes temperature competition, wasting heat from the heat source, and inviting hot air into the refrigerator every time it's opened.

Defrost old-school. Refrigerators with heating elements to defrost the freezer use up to twice the electricity of conventional ones. The occasional unplug-and-sponge method of defrosting is far more efficient and takes little effort. If your refrigerator has a power-saver switch, designed to disable automatic defrosting of outer surfaces, make sure it's switched to the energy-saving setting.

Vote with your wallet. Not all refrigerators are created equally efficient. Top-freezer models are generally more efficient than side-by-side or drawer-type freezer models. Appliance stores label fridges with yellow EnergyGuide ratings. Choose one that's rated as an Energy Star model for its exemplary efficiency or get as close to that as possible. When you do purchase a new fridge, recycle the old one.

Everyone has a refrigerator in his/her home, and can apply any or all of these methods to cut the household carbon footprint. Is there an easier (or cheaper) way to make a difference?

Jay Weinstein's blog posts are provided by LifeWire, a part of The New York Times Company.