Your Refrigerator’s Energy Consumption
Posted on 04. May, 2010 by Anna in Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficient Homes, General Articles
When shopping for an appliance such as a refrigerator, you’ll see that it has an Energy Guide label, so you can know the amount of electricity it would consume, by looking at the kilowatt-hours. The lower the kWh indicated on the label, the less it will add to your utility bill. In addition to looking at the Energy Guide label, it is also important to get a refrigerator that bears the Energy Star logo, which means the appliance meets certain energy-saving standards and could cost up to 20% less to operate than other models.
Tips on how to save energy when using the freezer or refrigerator
- Choose a refrigerator that has moisture control to lessen energy consumption of the appliance by up to 10%.
- Try to keep the refrigerator within the recommended temperature range, which is from 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is sufficient to keep your foods fresh. As for the freezer, keep it at 5 degrees Fahrenheit, no higher.
- Put a glass of water in the center of your refrigerator and leave it there for 24 hours. Then check the water’s temperature with a thermometer to see how cold your refrigerator is.
- Defrost your freezer and refrigerator manually. Do this regularly to maintain the efficiency of the appliance. The more frost builds up, the more energy it consumes.
- Always see to it that the door seals of your refrigerator are airtight. You can test them by closing the door on the center of a long piece of paper (the length of a dollar bill) with half inside and half outside the appliance. If you can easily pull the paper out of the fridge, then you should adjust or replace the latch to prevent further energy loss.
- Before putting food into the refrigerator, wrap it with plastic or store it in a non-metal container. This prevents moisture from the food being released inside the appliance. The more moisture present, the harder the compressor has to work.
- Cover liquids such as water, juice, milk, etc..
- Buy the type of refrigerator that’s right for your home.
Look for refrigerators bearing the Energy Star label to help assure you’ll have an energy-efficient refrigerator that should last ten years or more. You should also check the Energy Star guide to get an idea of how much energy it would consume and what it would add to your utility bill.