Kathryn MacDonald got the efficient fridge she wanted, at a price she could afford, by using BC Hydro’s Power Smart Shop.
One woman's experience with our Power Smart Shop
Kathryn MacDonald's fridge was on its last legs, so to speak – 15 years old and lacking the features and efficiency she craved. To find an affordable and efficient fridge, she used a combination of in-person research and online sleuthing through the BC Hydro Power Smart Shop, where you can find a variety of products from our partner retailers and compare them based on energy efficiency, price, rebates and more.
Here's how she tracked down her fridge, and how she bought it from a BC Hydro partner retailer who matched the lowest price she could find elsewhere.
"My fridge was starting to malfunction and was reaching its end of life," says MacDonald. "I knew my dimensions and price range, and I wanted a fridge that was highly energy efficient."
As a BC Hydro employee, she knew to look for a fridge with a low EnerGuide rating. A label on each fridge shows an EnerGuide estimate of annual energy consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh) on a label, with a lower kWh number indicating greater efficiency.
Her goal was to find a fridge that combined performance and modern looks with energy consumption of under 500 kWh per year, which would cost her less than $5 per month in electricity costs. And she felt she needed to explore today's fridges in-person before finalizing her search online.
Did you know? You can get up to $150 off select high-efficiency ENERGY STAR® refrigerators, clothes washers, clothes dryers, and combination washer-dryers until January 2, 2026.
MacDonald visited a couple B.C. retail stores and decided that this is what she wanted from a new fridge:
- Stainless steel exterior
- Counter depth (so that it wouldn't stick out beyond her counters)
- A freezing compartment on the bottom
- Energy efficiency as the priority, rather than features such as a water filter, icemaker or French door, which tend to compromise efficiency.
Next, she took her search online at the Power Smart Shop, narrowing her search via filters that selected the following: ENERGY STAR, bottom freezer, depth up to 27 inches, height up to 69 inches, width up to 32 inches, with no ice maker and no through-the-door-dispenser.
The Power Smart Shop search tool employs an Enervee score of up to 100 that shows how the relative efficiency of a product – including fridges, washers, dryers, thermostats, lighting and more – compares to all other products in the category. Her search delivered six results that met her criteria.
MacDonald chose to go with a GE Model with a solid Enervee score of 71, an annual energy use of 454 kWh per year, and a price that suited her budget.
"I then did some more research into comparable fridge options, looked at reviews and then went in person to my local Coast Appliances outlet to purchase the GE fridge that I had found on the Power Smart Shop," she says. "Coast Appliances matched the lower price that I saw at another retailer."
MacDonald’s search for a specific size and type of fridge drew the result above, and she was sold on the option on the right, which met her goals for efficiency and price.
What you should know about our Power Smart Shop
MacDonald is far from alone in finding help through the Power Smart Shop. Our recent survey showed that nearly nine of 10 customers who used the tool are very likely to use it the next time they buy an electricity-powered product.
After launching the Shop with only two partner retailers, we're now at nine: Canadian Tire, Coast Appliances, Midland Appliance, Trail Appliances, Best Buy, The Home Depot, IKEA, Sinope, Mysa.
We've also expanded the product categories beyond our original stable of fridges, washers, dryers, dishwashers, light bulbs and thermostats. We now offer detailed information on air purifiers, air conditioners, showerheads, ranges, freezers, combination washer dryers, cooktops, connected home products, televisions and computer monitors.
Did you know? You can get $50 off a select four-pack of Mysa smart thermostats from September 5, 2025 to January 2, 2026. Plus, you can earn up to $150 when you enroll your installed thermostats in Peak Saver.