First up in a series is this 26 c.f. (cubic foot) side-by-side refrigerator made by Frigidaire. The manufacture's EnergyStar card says that this model should use about 727 kWh per year (using temperature settings from the factory, which weren't changed in our test). Actual usage? Around 876 per year. Hmm. I'm assuming this discrepancy is based on either unrealistic usage in the manufacturer's tests (like never opening the door), or it may be the fact that our test was run during the summer, and we're not accounting for seasonal changes in needed power. When winter rolls around we'll readdress this and see if that's the case.

For now, let's talk about the results of the Kill-A-Watt energy analysis test performed on this product.

What can we do with this information? A couple things:

• Consider energy usage when shopping for a fridge. Look at the EnergyStar rating and estimated cost per year, and choose an EnergyStar model with relatively low consumption. For example, most of today's mid-priced 26c.f. side-by-side refrigerators use between 618 and 727 kWhs per year.
• Use a fridge thermometer to ensure you're not over-cooling your fridge or freezer and wasting extra energy.

This site will show you easy ways to reduce your energy consumption for a greener lifestyle. I'll show you how much televisions, lights, refridgerators, computers, TiVos, and more cost to operate... but since it doesn't do any good to explain how much it costs me, we'll need to determine your energy costs and use those in our calculations.

In the right column of every page on this site, you'll see the kWh Calculator. Calculating your electricity costs will show you how much (in dollars and cents) it costs to run various products reviewed on this site - based on your real costs - by the hour, day, week, and year!

So, gather one or more of your recent power bills. It's best to combine all the amounts from two or more bills to smooth out the cost a bit.

If you don't want to do this or don't have your bill handy:

Follow the steps below to do the calculations:

1. Look for power usage on your bill. It should be marked "kWh." Average usage is 350-750 kWh per month. Enter this number into the "# of kWh" field in the Calculator.
2. Add up all the costs of the power. Energy, Transmission, Distribution costs, taxes and surcharges all count. Even though some costs are fixed and some vary with your usage, this will still get you a somewhat accurate number for our calculations. Enter the sum in the "All costs" field.
3. Click the "Calculate" button. Your cost per kWh will immediately show. This will be saved for future sessions as long as cookies are enabled in your browser. If you're on a product review page, just reload the page, and any place we've calculated costs will show them based on your entries.

I’m going to show you great, easy ways to lower your electricity bills on this site. But first, we need to understand what parts of your bill can be lowered before we get into the how to lower it.

So, how are we going to find opportunities to cut down our electricity usage?

Behold P3 International’s Kill-A-Watt electricity analysis device. It’s designed for anyone to use and sells for less than $30 on Amazon or eBay. I own one, and have been putting every electical item I can find through the test. I’m going to share the results with you over time on this site. And not only will I tell you how much power things like refridgerators, computers, televisions and TiVo’s use, but also how much that power costs in dollars and cents - based on YOUR utility bills. (Read how this is done)

What motivates you to do something? Power? Wealth? Serving your family, or just a good challenge? Everyone has their own reasons. What about taking care of the Earth? This could be driven by your morals, your health, or for the benefit of future generations.

What if I said that helping the environment could make good fiscal sense as well? If I could show you ways to save money by making small, practical changes in your life, might that prompt you to take action now?

Well, that’s what this site is all about. With this first post, GreenIsCheap.com is officially launched. The point is to show you many ways to greenify your home or workplace while saving money - often large amounts - through the application of practical ideas, technology, and creative thinking. I hope you’ll put the results of my research and case studies to use in your life. It can be exciting - addicting, almost, to see how small changes can have huge impacts - on your utility bills, on your conscience, and especially on the environment.