Of all your kitchen appliances, the fridge costs the most to run. Refrigerator efficiency depends on many factors, and you can save a lot with some simple steps. Today’s quick green tips will cut your power bill and make your house greener. Mother Earth will thank you later — let’s get started with tip number one..

Tip #1: Keep your freezer full

As the saying goes, “A full freezer is a happy freezer.” Empty space in your freezer is hard to keep cold. Every time you open the door, cold air runs away. Keep the cold inside with solid objects that won’t escape. An easy fix is using bags of ice or reusable ice blocks. Using bags of ice may be optimal though, which leads us to the next tip.

Tip #2: Ice makers are expensive

Lower your fridge’s power consumption up to 20% by turning off the ice maker. Today’s automatic ice makers have motors that use extra energy and create excess heat. This wasn’t the case back when freezers came with live arctic ice gnomes inside. But those days are long gone, so best option is to turn it off.

Tip #3: Don’t mix hot and cold.

Katy Perry said it best in her hit single “Hot N Cold”. This song is clearly about keeping hot food out of the fridge. Leave leftovers out to cool before packing them in the fridge overnight. Along the same lines, move frozen items from the freezer to the fridge to defrost overnight. Then watch Katy get married and pat yourself on the back.

Tip #4: Start thinking about retirement

Refrigerator retirement that is.. Old fridges can consume twice as much energy as energy star certified models. Energy savings add up quickly when you install a new fridge, in one scenario savings surpassed the cost of a new fridge in three and a half years.

Tip #5: Your fridge should be a clean, well oiled machine

Dust buildup around fridge coils reduces cooling efficiency. It’s a good idea to dust off the coils to make sure you aren’t wasting energy. Another tip is to coat your fridge door gasket with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. This will create a seal to prevent cold air from leaking out. Two simple fixes can save you a lot.

That’s five tips to make your house greener and electricity bill lighter.  If you have other green fridge tips, please share them below!