It’s the little things that count, and if a lot of us do these “little things” to curb our energy consumption - we can really make an impact. The first room to look at is where all the action happens. No – not your bedroom, silly, the kitchen!

There are energy-saving techniques that can be utilized in every room of your home and can make a big difference in your overall consumption—and in your monthly electric bills.

In an effort to keep the energy revolution (or evolution?) manageable - I thought it would be good to focus on each room in our homes, but then found that the kitchen is a beast of its own!!

The big energy suckers here are clearly obvious – kitchen appliances.

Start with these simple tips from SCE&G for ways to operate your refrigerator more efficiently:

• Clean the door seal on your refrigerator and make sure there are no leaks

• Unplug the refrigerator and clean the condenser coils

• Make sure the fan in the freezer is not blocked by any items

• Keep refrigerator temperature between 36 and 38° F and the freezer between 0 and 5° F

If you ever need to replace your refrigerator, compare energy efficiency and yearly operating costs, you can save a lot of energy – and money in the long run – by shopping around.