Refrigerators/Freezers

An old style, inefficient refrigerator may be costing you as much as $280 a year in electricity in areas with high electrical rates. A new, more efficient model will pay for itself in energy savings!.

-- adapted from a Rocky Mountain Institute Home Energy Brief

Here's another reason to trade in an old refrigerator -- the electricity it uses is converted into waste heat and vented out the back or bottom of the appliance. Saving 1,000 kilowatt/hours of electricity a year with a new refrigerator will cut your air-conditioning costs by approximately $34 a year!

When shopping for a new refrigerator, check the "Energy Guide" labels on all new models to compare the annual energy costs and find the most economical buy. Also check with your local utility company to see if they are offering rebates on energy efficient models.

Keep in mind that chest freezers are usually more efficient than upright freezers. Chest freezers are better insulated and cold air doesn't spill out when the door is opened.

Side by side refrigerators use approximately 7 percent to 13 percent more energy than similar-sized top freezer models.

Automatic defrost freezers can consume 40 percent more electricity than similar manual defrost models.

Making Your Refrigerator or Freezer More Efficient

• Don't put the refrigerator near a heat source -- an oven, the dishwasher or direct sunlight from a window.

• Make sure air can circulate around the condenser coils. Leave a space between the wall or cabinets, and clean the coils periodically.

• Check the temperature -- a fridge that is 10^o Fahrenheit colder than necessary can use 25 percent more energy. Refrigerators should be kept between 36^o and 40^o F. -- freezers between 0^o and 5^o F.

• A full fridge retains cold better than an empty one. Make sure you buy the right size for your family!

• Keep your freezer and refrigerator full. If your refrigerator is nearly empty, store water-filled containers inside. The mass of cold items will enable the refrigerator to recover more quickly after the door has been opened. On the other hand, don't overfill it, since that will interfere with the circulation of cold air inside.

• Open the door as little as possible. Get in and out quickly. Label leftovers so you can quickly see what they are.

• Check door seals to make sure they are airtight. To test them, close the door on a dollar bill and try to pull it out. If the dollar slides out easily, kiss that dollar away because you're wasting energy and money by letting cold air leak out!

-- from Home Energy Manual

Additional Tips

• Cleaning the refrigerator coils can improve efficiency by as much as 30 percent.

• Regularly defrost manual-defrost models. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running.

• Allow hot foods to cool before refrigerating or freezing.

• Get rid of that older, energy-hogging second refrigerator in your garage! One large refrigerator is cheaper to run than two smaller ones.

• If you do get rid of your older refrigerator or freezer, please dispose of it properly. Make sure the door is removed so children cannot be trapped inside older models that have locking doors. Also, make sure that the refrigerant, such as chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs, is properly recycled. CFCs are suspected of depleting the Earth's protective ozone layer when released into the atmosphere.

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