Recently my neighbor remodeled her kitchen, and I (as a bit of an energy geek) was secretly happy to see that included a new, energy-efficient refrigerator. Sadly that secret happiness only lasted about 20 minutes. While we were chatting, she stepped into the garage to grab something. To my horror, I noticed her old refrigerator hadn’t been sent off the recycler. Oh no. There it sat in her garage, half full of sodas and cheerfully humming away.

Why is this a crisis? Let me count the ways. Refrigerators account for 8% of the electricity used in American homes, surpassed only by air conditioners (16%) and water heaters (9%) as the biggest energy hog in the house. Older refrigerators, however, are much worse: an ’80s-era refrigerator could easily use four times more energy than a current Energy Star model. All this means, of course, that if you buy a new fridge and keep the old one, you’re actually using more energy, not less.

But wait! It gets worse! Putting an old refrigerator in your garage—especially if it’s an uninsulated garage—is even more disastrous for its energy use, especially in summer. According to Energy Star, a refrigerator will use about 2.5% more energy for every degree your garage is warmer than your kitchen. So if you put your inefficient fridge in your 80-degree garage, it will use about 25% more energy than it would have in your 70-degree kitchen.

If you have two refrigerators like my neighbor, you probably have a great reason for needing that second fridge. But it might be possible to still meet your needs with a single unit. Try these alternate refrigeration ideas on for size:

• I entertain more than Martha Stewart! I need the space! Ditch the two fridge situation and consider buying a one slightly larger (Energy Star rated, natch) fridge instead.
• My kitchen is too small to hold a refrigerator that meets my needs. Try a separate fridge and freezer. You get the extra refrigeration space in your kitchen, and you can put the freezer in a basement, utility room, or other space not subject to extremes of temperature.
• I just need somewhere to put all those sodas. Buy a mini fridge and put it in the basement next to the big screen. Your family will love you for it.

Do I have you convinced? Next week I’ll give you some tips on what to look for when you go looking for that shiny new food-cooling machine.

Amy Foster Parish is on staff with the Washington State University Extension Energy Program. In her spare time, she enjoys forgoing the refrigerator and drinking her sodas warm.