Enjoy Cool Energy Savings with Greener Refrigerators

Save money and electricity with these tips to make your refrigerator more energy efficient. Plus, here’s how to know if it’s time to recycle the old fridge and buy a new one.

Sept. 16, 2008
By Megan Phelps 
Refrigerator closeup
Image Gallery
Your refrigerator is one of the biggest energy users in your home. Fortunately, some simple tips can keep it running as efficiently as possible.
ISTOCKPHOTO/GUILLERMO LOBO
Article Tools
Print
Comments
RSS
Bookmark and Share

If you’re looking for simple ways to save energy at home, your refrigerator is a good place to start. That’s because your fridge is one of your home’s single biggest electricity users (other members of this club include your air conditioner and your water heater.) But with a few simple steps you can make your current refrigerator more efficient — and when it’s time to buy a new fridge, these resources can help you make a smart choice.

RELATED CONTENT

Fine Tune your Refrigerator

What can you do to make your current fridge greener? A good place to start is with this list from the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and there’s a similar list of tips from Energy Star.

Here are a few of the strategies these resources suggest:

  • Adjust the thermostat of the refrigerator to between 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and make sure the freezer is set between zero to 5 degrees.
  • Minimize frost buildup by defrosting regularly.
  • Keep your refrigerator in a cool location — ideally it’s not in direct sunlight or right next to your stove.
  • Make sure the seals on the door are airtight by checking to see whether the door can hold a dollar bill when it’s closed. If not, it may be time to replace the seals or the refrigerator.
  • Keep the door shut as much as you can! For example, know what you want before you open it, and keep your leftovers in labeled containers so they don’t take as long to find.

You may have heard that you can save energy by cleaning your refrigerator’s condenser coils. While that seems like a common sense way to keep your refrigerator running more efficiently, there’s a surprisingly heated debate about this online, with some sources saying this is an energy myth. On the other hand, there are probably at least small energy savings from cleaning the coils — check out this Home Energy article to read more about one program that tried to measure the savings. In any case, cleaning your refrigerator coils can’t hurt.

Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >>
Bookmark and Share
RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print
FEATURED ARTICLES
MOST POPULAR


Subscribe Today - Pay Now & Save 66% Off the Cover Price

First Name: *
 Last Name: *
Address: *
 City: *
State/Province: *
 Zip/Postal Code:*
Country:
 Email:*
(* indicates a required item)
Canadian subs: 1 year, (includes postage & GST). Foreign subs: 1 year, . U.S. funds.
Canadian Subscribers - Click Here
Non US and Canadian Subscribers - Click Here

Lighten the Strain on the Earth and Your Budget

Mother Earth News is the guide to living — as one reader stated — “with little money and abundant happiness.” Every issue is an invaluable guide to leading a more sustainable life, covering ideas from fighting rising energy costs and protecting the environment to avoiding unnecessary spending on processed food. You’ll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more. Mother Earth News helps you cut costs without sacrificing modern luxuries.

At Mother Earth News, we are dedicated to conserving our planet’s natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. That’s why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our Earth-Friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $4.95 and get 6 issues of Mother Earth News for only $10.00 (USA only).

You may also use the Bill Me option and pay $14.95 for 6 issues.