(NAPSI)--Here’s a cool idea: If your refrigerator is 15 years old or older, replacing it with a new ENERGY STAR^® certified one can save you $260 over the next five years and reduce your carbon footprint. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if all refrigerators 15 years old or older in the United States were replaced with new ENERGY STAR models, Americans would save more than $1 billion in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 1 million vehicles.

There are an estimated 170 million refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers currently in use in the United States. More than 60 million are over 10 years old, costing consumers $4.4 billion a year in energy. A new ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator uses less energy than two 60-watt lightbulbs and includes energy-saving features that provide performance benefits, such as:

• Quieter, high-efficiency compressors that create less heat;

• Improved insulation in doors and exterior walls to help food stay cold and muffle noise;

• More precise temperature and defrost mechanisms that help the refrigerator operate more efficiently;

• Innovative drawer designs and improved temperature controls to keep food fresher, longer.

It can be better for you and the environment to replace your old refrigerator than to hang on to it. Plus, keeping a second refrigerator in your basement or garage could be costing you $110 every year. Just make sure to properly recycle your old refrigerator to prevent the release of refrigerants and foams that contribute to climate change.

For more savings, certain utilities offer rebates you can apply to the cost of an ENERGY STAR refrigerator or toward properly recycling your old refrigerator.

For information on rebates and other special manufacturer offers, visit www.energystar.gov/flipyourfridge.

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)