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These days you want to try to save on energy as best you can – both for the environment and your wallet. Unlike other appliances and electronics that you can turn off whenever they are not in use, the refrigerator needs to always be running, and as a result an energy inefficient refrigerator is going to use up a lot of energy, costing you hundreds of extra dollars and wasting electricity for unnecessary reasons.
When you are ready to purchase a refrigerator and wish to get one that uses energy correctly, here are a few steps you can use to make sure your refrigerator is more energy efficient.
Tips for choosing an energy efficient refrigerator
Here are 5 tips for buying energy-efficient Refrigerator to help you realize those savings.
1. Look for Energy Star Refrigerators
Founded by the government, Energy Star is a rating system designed to ensure that electronic items are energy efficient. If you are purchasing an energy star model, chances are the fridge is going to be one of the better ones for energy use.
2. Get a Top Mounted Freezer
Most of the time when you buy a refrigerator, you are going to get one with a top mounted freezer. However, there are side by side freezer models, and even bottom mounted freezers, and both of these tend to use up more energy than the top mounted alternatives.
Shop around, and take a look at some of my other articles on this site about good outdoor refrigerators:
READ
- Best Outdoor Kitchen Refrigerators Buying Guide
- What Extra Features Should I Look For In A Refrigerator?
- How Does A Refrigerator Work?
- What types of technical problems are common with refrigerators?
- What should I look for if I’m buying a used freezer?
- How does the European “four star” freezer system work?
3. Keep it Simple
All the interesting frills and gadgets, such as the ice makers, water dispensers, televisions and more – all of these use a great deal of extra energy that may not be necessary for your home’s use. If you can go without it and you are looking for an energy efficient machine, you should probably skip out on the extra features.
4. Get Only the Space You Need
If you live alone and do not eat home very often, you likely do not need that large a fridge. If you can go without extra space, you should get a smaller refrigerator as the larger it is, the more energy is needed to keep the refrigerator running.
5. Check the Energy Ratings
Most refrigerators will have energy ratings available so that you can check to see how much energy it uses. Using these ratings you can also compare and contrast similar models that meet your needs, thus ensuring that you are able to pick one that is both what you are looking for and the most energy efficient version of those needs.
Saving the Environment and Your Wallet
Considering refrigerators represent such a large purchase, it is always useful to make sure you have looked at all of your options before you have decided on one that is right for you. Energy efficiency, especially in this day and age, should be one of the criteria that you use to make a final decision.
By performing all of the above actions and keeping your refrigerator at the ideal conditions for proper energy use, you can save a great deal of money over time, and make sure that you are doing your part to help reduce the effects of energy use on the environment.
Is it cost effective to replace old refrigerators with energy efficient ones?
Refrigerators, as one of the only appliances that sits turned on for hours and days on end, have a variety of statistics created about their use in order to correctly monitor their energy levels. All of this research helps create some interesting statistics about refrigerators that are gathered by companies like Energy Star as they correct data to make sure refrigerators are being used as they should. Here are some interesting/fun facts about refrigerators and freezers.
How to save money with an energy efficient refrigerator
There are a few things you can do to save money with an energy efficient refrigerator:
- Set the temperature correctly. The ideal temperature for a refrigerator is 37 degrees Fahrenheit. If you set the temperature too high, your refrigerator will work harder to keep your food cold, which will increase its energy consumption.
- Defrost your refrigerator regularly. A build-up of frost can reduce the efficiency of your refrigerator. Defrost your refrigerator regularly to keep it running at its best.
- Don’t overload your refrigerator. When you overload your refrigerator, it has to work harder to keep your food cold, which can increase its energy consumption. Make sure to leave some space in your refrigerator so that the air can circulate freely.
Fun Facts
- Though both refrigerators and freezers are known to last over a decade, they do not last at the same rate. It is estimated that freezers last approximately 10 to 11 years, while refrigerators are able to last for as long as 14 or 15.
It should not come as a surprise, then, to see your freezer stop working long before your refrigerator has.
- Refrigerators have become considerably more energy efficient over the past fifteen years. Before 1990, operating the average refrigerator was as much as $110 dollars a year, while the modern refrigerator costs, on average, about $50 a year.
In addition, older refrigerators were more prone to breaking down early, causing as much as triple or quadruple the costs of operating modern appliances.
- An inefficient refrigerator can cost as much as $220 in energy per month, while an efficient refrigerator can cost as low as $50. The average price difference of a highly energy efficient refrigerator to a cheap one is roughly $1000.
Over the course of 10 years, the individual that bought the inefficient refrigerator will have paid over $500 more than the individual that bought the pricier model.
- Nearly 1/3rd of all households that own refrigerators that are over a decade old actually own two refrigerators. Older refrigerators tend to have extremely high energy costs, so two doubles that cost and can cover the price of a new refrigerator in just one or two years.
Perhaps more amazing is that there are many homes that own 3 fridges – an energy cost that could cover a new fridge in less than a year and a half.
- Over 44% of all freezer owners have a freezer that is over 10 years old, despite freezers becoming incredibly inefficient at 11 years old. Inefficient freezers represent considerable energy consumption.
See Also
- How effective are freezers in preserving food?
- Tips for Buying a Refrigerator
- Should I get a refrigerator with the freezer on the side, bottom, or top?
Making sure that your refrigerator and your freezer are running efficiently is a top priority. As you can see from the above facts, a huge number of individuals are running old/inefficient freezers and refrigerators that are wasting energy at an almost ridiculous pace, spending more money on energy than it would cost to replace the refrigerators.
If you fall under any of these statistics, you should start looking into replacing your fridge. Many companies have payment plans if necessary, and the money that you save by not wasting energy is not only good for the environment – it could easily cover the costs associated with getting a new fridge in the first place.
Also check out the best outdoor kitchen refrigerators
FAQs
Q: What is the difference between an Energy Star refrigerator and a regular refrigerator?
A: An Energy Star refrigerator meets strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA. This means that it uses less energy than a regular refrigerator, which can save you money on your energy bills.
Q: How much money can I save by using an energy efficient refrigerator?
A: The amount of money you can save by using an energy efficient refrigerator depends on the size of your refrigerator and how much you use it. However, you can typically expect to save 10-20% on your energy bills by using an Energy Star refrigerator.
Q: What are the benefits of using an energy efficient refrigerator?
A: There are several benefits to using an energy efficient refrigerator:
- You can save money on your energy bills.
- You can help to reduce your carbon footprint.
- You can extend the lifespan of your refrigerator.
Put your questions or suggestions in the comments below, so we can all benefit from each other’s knowledge.
Happy Outdoor Living! Thanks for reading.
