They are a household staple found in every kitchen up and down the country - but the cost of running your fridge freezer is something you probably don't even consider in your monthly energy bills.

Right now, energy prices are going up, with cheap deals disappearing in the wake of the Middle East crisis pushing prices higher. From April 1, the Ofgem price cap is actually dropping by 6.6%, as this is set in stone and can't be changed now. But from July, prices are forecast to be as much as 10% higher again.

From April 1, the Ofgem price cap will set electricity at 24.67p per kWh.

According to Ideal Home, an average E-rated 70/30 267-litre fridge freezer uses 232 kWh of electricity a year.

That would mean that this would add £57.23 to the average cost of running a fridge freezer for a household on the April 1 price cap, for a year.

Of course, other appliances may cost even more to run, if they're older, larger or less efficient than the average fridge freezer.

American style fridge freezers, for example, tend to be much larger, with more expensive features such as water cooling and ice making, which will add even more to your annual bills.

According to Ideal Home, there are ways you can cut down the cost of running a fridge freezer.

This includes keeping the doors closed - opening them for too long will destroy the cold temperature inside and force the fridge to work hard to cool it down again, costing electricity.

You can also dust the coils at the back of the fridge, which is something you've probably never done.

According to Which?, thick dust can reduce efficiency by as much as 25%. Try to clean them a couple of times a year - unplug your appliance, use a vacuum attachment to remove most of the dust, then brush away the rest.

Finally, you should also make sure the appliance is not in direct sunlight, and has enough space around it. Being in a warm spot, or having too little space, can cause the fridge to work harder to keep cool.

Of course, the best way to save money on your bills right now is to get a fix. There may still be a few fixed energy deals cheaper than the April price cap available on the market, and these will also stay cheaper than the July price cap, as it cannot change once it's fixed as it's guaranteed to lock your price in for the next 12 months, but time is rapidly running out to grab one before April.