(NC)—Energy house audits, tax credits, grants, rebates and incentives, it pays to go green these days. According to Stats Canada the average Canadian household spends over $1,000 each year on utility bills, so it makes sense to take advantage of incentives and choose energy efficient products.

So why do some Canadians insist on keeping old inefficient appliances, like a fridge, in the garage?

Having a fridge in the garage appeals to busy families who want more refrigerator space or dads who want to escape, but even though retiring old fridges to the garage may sound wallet-friendly, it might not be an environmentally-friendly choice.

Your old appliance might be costing you more than you think. A new Energy Star qualified fridge, like the Gladiator Chillerator garage refrigerator, can save around 453 kWh/Year (53% more efficient) over a same size top freezer purchased between 1993 – 2000.

The Energy Star qualified Chillerator garage refrigerator is not only designed to handle the extreme temperature and humidity of the garage environment with an operating range from -18 to 43 degrees Celsius, but it also saves money by reducing energy consumption.

Before permanently retiring your old fridge be sure to check if there are appliance recycling programs in your community and for safety reasons remember to remove the door. Also, ensure that the CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), the gas that cools refrigerators, are properly disposed of. If CFCs are released into the atmosphere they can potentially damage the ozone layer.

More garage organizing tips and ideas are available online at www.gladiatorgw.com.