5 ON YOUR SIDE: Rising energy bills

5 ON YOUR SIDE: Rising energy bills By KSTP 5 ON YOUR SIDE: Utility bill savings5 ON YOUR SIDE: Utility bill savingsThe rising cost of electricity, natural gas, and even water has many of us taking a closer look at our energy bills, and scrutinizing our appliances, wondering how much they really cost to run day in and day out. There’s some good news: Consumer Reports did the math for you, and its experts share which large appliances are worth your money and won’t hike up your utility bills.If you’re shopping for a new appliance, checking the Energy Star and EnergyGuide labels is a great place to start, but there’s more to know before you buy, says Consumer Reports. CR tests the energy use of appliances under real-world conditions, which means that when testing a dishwasher, it’s loaded with dirty dishes to reflect what you would experience at home.Consumer Reports says it’s especially important when choosing a refrigerator, an appliance that runs 24/7, 365 days a year. Consumer Reports found that there was quite a difference between different models and different types of refrigerators in terms of the amount of energy that they consume.In general, you can save on money and operating costs by choosing a fridge with a top-freezer, like the recommended Frigidaire FFHT1425VV, which costs $746 and has an annual usage cost ranging from $37 to $97.If you want more space, consider the bottom-freezer GE GDE21EYKFS, starting at $1973, with an annual usage cost ranging from $34 to $105, which offers a lot of capacity for the cost of operation.For ranges, the Frigidaire FCFI3082BS, starting at $1,099, and the annual usage cost of around $83 for the induction range “balances high performance and low usage cost.”Another energy guzzler is your clothes dryer. One way to cut down on drying costs is to choose an efficient washing machine. A top-performing one like the LG WM4000HWA, starting at $945, can help wring out more water from your laundry, making less work for your dryer, and save energy.There’s one energy-efficient exception when it comes to clothes dryers; Consumer Reports tests found that heat pump dryers do save considerable energy. However, they take longer to dry your clothes, which might be a deal breaker for some households.