Get Efficient With Refrigeration

Quick Facts Affordability Cost Savings CO2 Reduction		Refrigerators and freezers are two of the most significant energy-consuming appliances. If your appliance is old or not working well, it might be a good investment to replace it. If replacing your fridge or freezer is not feasible right now, keep it well-maintained and use it efficiently.  Affordability The most important action is the easiest – unplug unnecessary fridges and freezers. Second refrigerators and freezers are often under-used or unused appliances. They also tend to be older, less efficient models. Using one large refrigerator is more efficient than running two smaller ones. Cost savings Change the way you use your fridge and you could save up to $25 each year. Replace an old fridge with an ENERGY STAR®-approved version and you could save $40 or more per year. Unplug and remove an old, second fridge or freezer and save more than $100 a year. Health & comfort Energy-efficient appliances now come in many styles and sizes. You can find one with the features you want. An efficient, well-maintained fridge or freezer will keep your food cold without over-chilling or causing freezer burn. Environmental considerations If all operating secondary fridges in British Columbia were unplugged and recycled, it would save enough energy to power all the homes in the City of Chilliwack for an entire year. BC Hydro has a province-wide Fridge Buy-Back Program for its customers.

What you need to know

Usage

• Keep fridge and freezer doors closed when not putting things in or taking things out.
• Do not locate your refrigerator or freezer near heat vents, sunlight or your oven.
• Check that the temperature inside your refrigerator is between 2°C and 3°C (35°F to 38°F). In most refrigerators, this is the mid-level setting on the temperature control. Freezers should operate at -18°C (0°F). Keeping the temperatures just 5°C (9°F) colder than the recommended levels can increase energy use by as much as 25%.
• If your refrigerator has an energy saver mode, use it. This feature disables a small heater that is used to prevent moisture from building up on the outside. Unless you see condensation on your fridge, keep this switch off.
• Do not put hot foods and leftover meals directly into the fridge or freezer. Allow them to cool first. (Always follow safe food-handling practices.)
• Cover food and any liquids when you put them in the fridge. Otherwise they will release moisture and cause the refrigerator to use more energy.
• Make the most of the freezer compartment in your refrigerator. This is more energy efficient than having a stand-alone freezer.
• If your freezer is not full, fill plastic containers with water and freeze them. This will also help keep your food frozen in the event of a power outage.
• Use bchydro.com’s appliance calculator to estimate how much energy your fridge and freezer are using.

Maintenance

• Check the door seals. Gaskets on the doors deteriorate over time. A fridge or freezer that does not seal properly can waste a lot of energy. To check the seal, place a piece of paper between the door and the refrigerator as you close it. If you can move the paper freely in the door, it is not sealed tightly. Another method is to put a flashlight inside to check for leaks. If you can see light around the door gasket, it is not sealing properly.
• Unplug the refrigerator and clean the dust from the back or bottom coils twice a year. Make sure there is at least 8 cm (three inches) of air space between the back of the refrigerator and the wall and at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) of space on both sides to allow for good air circulation.
• Defrost regularly. Manual defrost refrigerators are generally more efficient than automatic defrost models, but only if they are properly maintained. Manual and partial automatic defrost refrigerators and freezers should be defrosted at least twice a year or when the ice is as thick as a pencil.

When buying

• Fridge-freezers with the freezer compartment below or above the fridge are more efficient than side-by-side models. If you require a stand-alone freezer, there are two options: upright (front-loading) and chest (top-loading) freezers. Chest freezers [PDF, 160 Kb] are about 25% more efficient than uprights.
• Use a manual defrost freezer. Since freezers are opened less frequently than refrigerators, frost does not build up as quickly. In addition, manual defrost freezers will not dehydrate foods, causing freezer burn.

Taking it further

• A 10-year-old refrigerator or freezer can cost considerably more to operate than a new energy-efficient model of the same size. Improvements to the compressors and cooling coils, better insulation, tighter door seals and other design improvements all contribute to the higher efficiency of newer models.
• Depending on its age, your refrigerator may be so inefficient that replacing it is the wisest decision. Given the energy cost savings, a new refrigerator will pay for itself in just a few years.
• When it is time to retire your old refrigerator, shop around for an energy-efficient model. Even though federal law mandates minimum energy-efficiency levels, there are variations from model to model.

FAQ

ENERGY STAR appliances usually cost more than others. Could I save money if I buy a cheaper fridge or freezer and keep it well maintained?
No. It is always a good idea to keep any appliance well maintained for optimum performance, but even so, ENERGY STAR fridges and freezers are so much more efficient than other models – 20% more efficient than government standards – that they generally pay for themselves in just a few years. Think of an appliance as having two prices: the cost to buy it and the cost to run it. The higher cost of running less energy-efficient appliances quickly cancels out the lower purchase price. 

Is it wasteful to get a new fridge or freezer if my old one still works?
Not necessarily. Fridges are freezers are so much more efficient today than they were just 10 years ago that unless your appliance is very well maintained and running at top form, it is likely better for the environment to recycle the old and purchase a new ENERGY STAR-approved fridge or freezer. When you lower your home energy consumption, you halt or delay the need for new energy generating facilities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.