9 Refrigerator Energy and Cost Saving Tips
The newer Energy Star refrigerator models offer substantial energy efficiency improvements over older models, but putting out $1000 or more for a new refrigerator may just not be possible for you right now.
While you are saving up, there are quite a few things you can do to make your existing refrigerator much more efficient than it has been in the past. In fact, because refrigerators are one of the heaviest energy users in the household (second only to air conditioners), you could see a real difference in your electric bill next month simply by following a few of these suggestions.
1) Clean the coils under your refrigerator. Refrigerator coils get unbelievably dirty, and the dirtier they are, the less efficient your refrigerator is. You can clean the coils with anything that resembles a small toilet brush, or you can by coil cleaners at most hardware stores.
2) Give your refrigerator some room to breathe. Your refrigerator gives off a fair amount of heat from the compressor and the condenser coils. By having two or more inches of space on all side of the refrigerator (sides and back and top), the air will circulate better, and your fridge won't have to work so hard to keep its insides cool if its outside is well-ventilated.
3) Set the temperature of your refrigerator to below 36-38 degrees. Anything above 38 degrees is too warm, but most refrigerators are being kept colder than they need to be.
4) Keep your freezer at zero degrees. This is plenty cold enough to keep everything frozen. Keeping your freezer any colder than this will make thawing foods take longer.
5) Cut the moisture in your refrigerator by covering foods or keeping them in tightly sealed containers. Extra moisture in the air inside your refrigerator makes it harder to keep the air cold. The drier the air is, the less your refrigerator's compressor has to work.
6) Keep the door closed. Remind family members to "get in and get out" of the refrigerator, and to refrain from "refrigerator gazing" when they are hungry. Also keep the door closed when you are cooking, packing lunches, or putting groceries away.
7) Keep your refrigerator away from heat sources like ovens, dryers, and even direct sunlight. This works off of the same principle as the ventilation tip: keeping the area around your refrigerator cool helps to reduce the work your refrigerator has to do to keep its insides cool.
8) Unless you really love ice in your drinks, consider giving up the ice maker. It uses 20% of the energy used for the refrigerator and freezer. If your refrigerator is using 14% of the total electricity for your house, that means that just the ice maker is accounting for nearly 3% of your monthly electric bill. Old fashioned ice trays, however, take up no extra energy.
9) Keep your freezer full. The more you've got in the freezer, the more it helps to keep the rest of the items cold - kind of like putting a bag of ice in a portable cooler to keep the sodas cold.
While you are saving up, there are quite a few things you can do to make your existing refrigerator much more efficient than it has been in the past. In fact, because refrigerators are one of the heaviest energy users in the household (second only to air conditioners), you could see a real difference in your electric bill next month simply by following a few of these suggestions.
1) Clean the coils under your refrigerator. Refrigerator coils get unbelievably dirty, and the dirtier they are, the less efficient your refrigerator is. You can clean the coils with anything that resembles a small toilet brush, or you can by coil cleaners at most hardware stores.
2) Give your refrigerator some room to breathe. Your refrigerator gives off a fair amount of heat from the compressor and the condenser coils. By having two or more inches of space on all side of the refrigerator (sides and back and top), the air will circulate better, and your fridge won't have to work so hard to keep its insides cool if its outside is well-ventilated.
3) Set the temperature of your refrigerator to below 36-38 degrees. Anything above 38 degrees is too warm, but most refrigerators are being kept colder than they need to be.
4) Keep your freezer at zero degrees. This is plenty cold enough to keep everything frozen. Keeping your freezer any colder than this will make thawing foods take longer.
5) Cut the moisture in your refrigerator by covering foods or keeping them in tightly sealed containers. Extra moisture in the air inside your refrigerator makes it harder to keep the air cold. The drier the air is, the less your refrigerator's compressor has to work.
6) Keep the door closed. Remind family members to "get in and get out" of the refrigerator, and to refrain from "refrigerator gazing" when they are hungry. Also keep the door closed when you are cooking, packing lunches, or putting groceries away.
7) Keep your refrigerator away from heat sources like ovens, dryers, and even direct sunlight. This works off of the same principle as the ventilation tip: keeping the area around your refrigerator cool helps to reduce the work your refrigerator has to do to keep its insides cool.
8) Unless you really love ice in your drinks, consider giving up the ice maker. It uses 20% of the energy used for the refrigerator and freezer. If your refrigerator is using 14% of the total electricity for your house, that means that just the ice maker is accounting for nearly 3% of your monthly electric bill. Old fashioned ice trays, however, take up no extra energy.
9) Keep your freezer full. The more you've got in the freezer, the more it helps to keep the rest of the items cold - kind of like putting a bag of ice in a portable cooler to keep the sodas cold.
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