Did you know that an out-of-date, inefficient refrigerator can cost you as much as $280 a year in electricity? Recent improvements in insulation and compressors have made today’s refrigerators much more energy-efficient than older models. ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators help maximize your energy and dollar savings.

ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators are required to use about 15% less energy than non-certified models. More than 60 million refrigerators are estimated to be over 10 years old, costing consumers $4.4 billion a year in total energy costs. You can recycle your old refrigerator and replace it with an ENERGY STAR certified one to save as much as $1,100 on energy costs over its lifetime.

The ENERGY STAR refrigerators also help us reduce our impact on the environment. If everyone purchasing a new refrigerator this year chose an ENERGY STAR certified one, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from around 100,000 cars!

Other ways to save money and energy with your refrigerator is by choosing one with a top-mounted freezer. These models typically use 10-25% less energy than bottom-mount or side-by-side models. Choose an appropriately sized refrigerator because the larger the refrigerator, the more energy is needed to use. The most energy-efficient refrigerator models tend to be 16-20 cubic feet.

If you can forego the ice-maker and dispenser on your refrigerator, you could decrease energy use by 14-20%. They also typically raise the purchase price of the fridge by $75-250.

If you’re not in the market for a new refrigerator, or already have an energy-efficient one, there are additional steps you can take to save money and energy. Every time you open the refrigerator door, the cold air runs out into the room and the warm air fills in its place. This makes your refrigerator’s compressor work harder to drive the warm air out and elevate the temperature. Home Energy Magazine estimated that door openings account for 7% of your fridge energy use.

Another way to help save energy is by keeping your refrigerator full, because then there is less air to cool when more space is taken up by the food. But watch out for overfilling the fridge which can hinder air circulation.

To learn more ways to save money on energy, visit http://paylesspower.com
. Offering cheap energy plans to suit both personal and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people not only with some of the best cheap electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

Spring Cleaning is a great opportunity to get a fresh start for the new season. It can also be a way to save money and electricity through a few simple steps!

Organize and De-Clutter
Organize your closets and spaces in your home, putting aside unused clothes, furniture, books, accessories, etc. Sort your remaining clothes by color or type to help you find what you’re looking for easier on a daily basis.

Clean off your bookshelves and discard any books that you don’t plan on reading again. Remove ripped dust jackets (unless they might have value). Line books in a rhythmic pattern both vertically and horizontally to avoid the monotony of rows.

Gather all of the clothes and items you’ve decided to get rid of, and hold a yard sale or garage sale. Not only will this help you earn a little extra cash, but it will create more space in your house, keeping you cooler. Keep the house de-cluttered on a daily basis by looking around whenever you leave a room for anything that is out of order and putting it back in its place.

Dust Your Ceiling Fans
Make sure all of your ceiling fans are dust free and working properly. If you have been running your fans clockwise during the winter months, change the direction of your ceiling fans to the standard counterclockwise direction to provide a pleasant breeze during warmer months.

Clean your refrigerator
It is estimated that a fridge uses about 15 percent of a home’s power. A few simple steps can help your refrigerator run more efficiently and save energy.

Throw out old food and wipe up any spills immediately. Wash the interior with a solution of baking soda and water (two tablespoons of baking soda for every quart of warm water). Use a toothbrush to scrub harder to reach areas.

According to the Consumer Energy Center,  cleaning your refrigerator coils can reduce the amount of energy that your fridge uses by up to 30 percent. When dust and pet hair build up on them, the motor works harder and must use more electricity. When the coils are cleaned, air can circulate freely.

How to Clean Your Refrigerator Coils

• Find the coils on your refrigerator. On older-model fridges, the coils are exposed on the back. On newer models, the coils are on the bottom, hidden behind a cover panel or kick plate.
• Unplug your fridge and pull it away from the wall.
• Remove the cover plate. On some models it’s held in by spring clips; others may use a couple of small screws
• Use a vacuum or brush to dust the condenser coils.
• Replace the cover panel, slide the fridge back into place and plug it in.

Cleaning Other Areas of the House
Replace heavy curtains with lighter ones for the warmer weather. Vacuum and steam-clean the old curtains or have them dry-cleaned before you put them away for storage.

If your home has a sliding glass door, make sure to clean its track. Dirty tracks can ruin the seal of the door, creating gaps where cold air can escape.

Click here to read more energy saving tips.

If you’re interested in learning more about saving money on electricity by using prepaid electricity in Texas, then check out Payless Power. Offering low-cost energy plans to suit both residential and business needs, Payless Power is a company committed to providing people with some of the best electricity rates in Texas, but also with helpful customer service. Visit the website to learn more about how to save electricity at home, or connect with the online community on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.