Did I Save Electricity?

I was hoping for a noticeable drop in this month's electric bill after installing a new, and supposedly more efficient, refrigerator...and that's just what I got. The number of kilowatt hours dropped this year 27% from our 7-year average. Seeing that the new refrigerator is rated 20% more efficient than the old, I should be overwhelmed with the improvement. However, I'm curbing my enthusiasm.

Yes, this year's electric usage is below our average, but it's virtually the same as last year. We used the air conditioner maybe once or twice over the past month, and we must have used it even less last year. Last month, which wasn't a full month for the new refer, was down 10% from the average, but it was higher than the year before. Is this is an argument for the Smart Grid so I know I'm being Green?

Of course, you know the performance of any refrigerator is not measured by its energy consumption but more by how well the ice maker works. The new one is quiet enough, but each push of the Ice button produces a wide variety of cube output. I miss you, Amana.