Taking Steps

Today’s new refrigerators use a third of the electricity that models did in the 1970s, but the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) is looking for more efficiency, according to a press release. The USDOE is seeking to decrease the use of most refrigerator-freezers sold in the U.S. by 20 – 25 percent by 2014. It would save 4.5 quadrillion Btu and keep 305 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions out of the air over 30 years. If enacted, the standard would eliminate the need for as much as eight or nine coal-fired power plants by 2043.

You can save more today – stop opening that refrigerator door every couple minutes, or leaving it open while you poor a beverage, and every once in a while, do it a favor and clean the coils.