One way to reduce your overall energy consumption is to take a critical look at your appliances. It’s these household heroes that take up a big portion of your overall energy usage.
Take your fridge, for example. As an essential component of modern life, it’s working day and night to keep your food fresh. Just because it never stops working, doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to reduce the energy it uses. On average your refrigerator will account for between 5% -10% of your overall home energy consumption.
Below, you’ll find six different ways to use less energy with your fridge. The goal is to give you easy ways to reduce energy and improve your fridge’s efficiency. That way, you can save on your energy bills and your carbon footprint.
And if you’ve got an old fridge, perhaps your best strategy is to replace it with an Energy Star efficient model, which can save you about $230 over the lifetime of a fridge. But for those of you who are set, this is how you use less energy with your fridge.
Set the Appropriate Temperature
Have you ever asked yourself, “At what temperature should I set my fridge?” It’s a simple but vital question. By setting your refrigerator at the appropriate temperature, you can significantly impact its energy efficiency.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that the temperature is at or below 40° F for your fridge, and your freezer should be at 0° F.
Keeping your fridge and freezer at these temperatures will help your food stay fresh longer and your appliance run optimally. When temperatures are set lower than necessary, your fridge works more than needed without any additional benefit.
Not sure where your fridge’s temperature stands? It may be worth investing in a fridge thermometer. These are readily available and can provide you with accurate readings, helping you maintain optimal temperature settings for your fridge and freezer.
By keeping your refrigerator and freezer at the recommended temperatures, you’re taking the first step in improving your fridge’s energy performance. This simple tweak might be one of the easiest ways to reduce the energy consumption of your refrigerator and cut down on those energy bills.
Place Your Fridge in a Cool Place
The location of your fridge in your home influences its energy efficiency. That may seem trivial at first, but it’s actually a crucial factor.
If your fridge stands next to a heat source like an oven or in direct sunlight, it will have to work harder to keep its internal temperature. This means it uses more energy, and over time, this can increase your electricity bills.
So where should you place your fridge for optimal energy savings? Aim for a cool area. If possible, keep it away from appliances that produce heat and out of direct sunlight. A little bit of careful planning can go a long way towards improving your fridge’s energy performance.
Taking the time to find the ideal spot for your fridge is another important way to use less energy with your fridge. Of course, this is harder when you’re working with an existing kitchen, but there are other ways to save energy with your fridge.
Allow Air Circulation Behind the Fridge
Our refrigerators do a good job of keeping our food fresh, but they can’t do it all alone. They need a bit of help from their environment, specifically from the air around them.
Why? Refrigerators release heat into the surrounding area as they cool your food. If the heat doesn’t get away due to poor circulation, the fridge has to work harder to cool down, which results in increased energy use.
To allow for good air circulation, there should be a few inches of space between your fridge and the wall, as well as above it. This open space lets the heat move away from the fridge.
Some newer models have a built-in coil design that reduces the need for this extra space. If you have one of these models, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for the best placement.
Proper air circulation is an easy yet effective way to improve your fridge’s energy performance. So, have a look at your fridge’s placement and see if you can make any adjustments.
Check and Maintain the Door Seals
Sometimes, it’s the small things that can make a big difference. When it comes to making your refrigerator more energy-efficient, one of those “small things” is the door seal.
The seals on your fridge and freezer doors have an important role in keeping the cold air in and warm air out. If these seals are worn out or damaged, your fridge can lose a significant amount of cold air. This forces it to work harder and use more energy to maintain the desired temperature.
To see how your fridge door seals are doing, try the dollar bill test. Close your fridge or freezer door with a dollar bill stuck in, and try to pull out the bill. If it slips out easily, your seals aren’t as tight as they should be, and it’s time to replace them.
Checking and maintaining your door seals is a great way to reduce energy consumption of your refrigerator. Stay tuned for the next section, where we will discuss the importance of keeping the fridge door closed to enhance your fridge’s energy performance.
Keep the Fridge Door Closed
This one seems too easy, but it’s worth mentioning: keep your fridge door closed as much as possible. Every time you do open it, cold air goes out and warm air enters. This means you’re not just picking a snack, but making your fridge work harder, too.
Of course that doesn’t mean you need to stop using your refrigerator altogether. Instead, keep the door open for short periods of time. Think about what you’re getting before you open the door and don’t hold the door open while you decide what you’re going to have. Try to organize the fridge so that the items you need most are also the most accessible.
Another tip: avoid putting hot food directly into the fridge. Let it cool down first to room temperature. This way, your fridge won’t have to work as hard to cool it down, saving on energy usage.
Keeping your fridge door closed might seem like a small change, but these little changes can make a big difference in your fridge’s energy performance.
Defrost Your Freezer
Last but not least on our list of ways to improve your fridge’s energy performance is regular freezer defrosting. It’s a task many of us might put off, but it plays a crucial role in the overall energy efficiency of your fridge.
A buildup of ice in your freezer can hinder its efficiency. When frost accumulates, your freezer has to work harder to maintain the right temperature, and this extra work means using more energy. Not to mention, excessive frost can reduce the usable storage space in your freezer.
So, how often should you defrost your freezer? It’s a good practice to do it once the frost becomes about a quarter-inch thick. Most modern fridges come with an auto-defrost feature, but if yours doesn’t have this, you’ll need to do it manually. Remember, it’s always a good idea to check the user manual for the manufacturer’s specific instructions on defrosting.
By making regular freezer defrosting part of your routine, you’ll be taking a significant step towards reducing energy consumption of your refrigerator.
Conclusion
So there you have it: six ways to use less energy with your fridge. By adapting these six techniques, you’ll get more cool out of your fridge and use less energy along the way. To find out exactly how much energy your fridge uses, check out my posts on using a smart energy meter or installing the Emporia Gen 2.
If you’re looking at your fridge’s efficiency because you’re considering solar, come join us at our Facebook group. Here, we talk about all things solar and energy. I’ll answer your questions along with other solar experts, and there’s room for general discussions. To get started on solar, try our solar calculator.