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According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average home costs $1,900 in energy costs each year. Of course, every room in the house uses its share of energy, but the kitchen just might be the best place for turning over a new and energy-efficient leaf.

"The kitchen is a really good place to make changes," said Maria Vargas, spokesperson for the EPA's EnergyStar program. "Certainly, there are opportunities to make your home more energy efficient with things like refrigerators and dishwashers."

Below are the four stars of the kitchen that you'll want to examine to ensure increased energy efficiency:

The range. If you perform one energy-saving measure in the kitchen, clean your burners. Apart from looking nicer, a clean range-top saves energy because it better reflects heat.

When cooking on a range, be sure to match up the size of the pan to the appropriate heating element. Putting a small pan on a large burner doesn't get the pan any hotter any quicker. It just wastes energy. And always boil water in a covered pan — the water will come to a boil more quickly, thus using less energy.

You might also want to get in the habit of turning off your burners a couple of minutes before completing the allotted cooking time. The heating element will stay hot long enough to finish the cooking. Another benefit of this measure is safety: You won't be putting yourself and others in danger by leaving a hot burner uncovered.

The oven. By the same token, turning off the oven five minutes before the suggested cooking time is up — thus letting the trapped heat finish the cooking — helps to save energy as well. When possible, avoid preheating your oven if the food requires more than one hour of cooking time. That said, use small electric cooking appliances for small meals rather than the kitchen range or oven, since small appliances typically use less energy.

Again, cleanliness counts. Cleaning your oven once a month will allow it to cook more evenly, thus cutting down on extra cooking time. And, because of their additional insulation, self-cleaning ovens save energy in the same way that a heavily insulated house saves energy. They're even more energy efficient if you activate the self-cleaning mechanism immediately after cooking food.

The dishwasher. When buying a dishwasher, look for an energy-efficient model, one with "air power" or overnight dry settings. These features automatically turn the dishwasher off after completing the rinse cycle, which can save up to 10 percent on your dishwashing energy costs. And whether you're installing it yourself or you're having it installed, be sure you have it set on the manufacturer-recommended minimum water temperature.

Avoid the dishwasher's pre-rinse cycle. Instead, scrape your dishes using cold water (cold water helps to get rid of grease by solidifying it) before loading them. Also, make sure you haven't overloaded the dishwasher. You're not saving energy if you have to use the dishwasher twice.

The refrigerator and freezer. First, set your refrigerator at 38 to 40 degrees and your freezer to five degrees. Separate freezers should be kept at zero degrees.

Of course, these temperature settings matter less when the seal of your refrigerator door is less than airtight. Pepco, the Washington, DC-area electric service, recommends this simple test to find out if your refrigerator seal is airtight: Close the fridge door on a dollar bill so that it is half in and half out. If you can easily pull the dollar out, the door hinges may need adjusting or the seal may need replacing.

And, once again, Mom was right: Never leave the refrigerator door open for longer than is absolutely necessary.

At ReZoom, one of the ways we want to help build a better world is by being kinder to the earth. Check in for regular tips and ideas on making your life and home more environmentally friendly.