FRIDGES AND FREEZERS

Fridges run all day every day and make up around 18% of your energy bill. Depending on the age and size this could be costing you significant money each year. However there are simple things you can do to reduce this cost. Getting rid of your second fridge is an easy way to save considerable money and energy.

KEEPING A SECOND FRIDGE

Keeping a second fridge is likely to be costing you a significant amount on your energy bill. If you decide to keep an old fridge for use as a second fridge, even if it is inefficient, then consider only switching it on when you absolutely need to – for example for Christmas or a family function.

DOES OPENING THE DOOR USE ENERGY?

Opening the door of a fridge lets cold air out and warm air in, but this doesn’t represent a lot of energy.

Don’t worry too much about opening the door of the fridge as this is unlikely to use a lot of energy. Just try not to leave the door open for extended periods of time.

FRIDGE TEMPERATURE

Keeping your food and drinks at the best temperature can help you be energy efficient and also keep your food nice and fresh. Temperatures less than 3°C make fruit and vegetables less crisp and can be detrimental to fresh goods. Storing foods at colder temperatures in the fridge also uses more energy. Every degree lower requires roughly 5% more energy.

Storing foods at 3° to 5°C is recommended for fridges and -15° to -18°C for freezers.

You can use a thermometer to help with this.

Consider the NSW Food Authority Guidelines for safely storing food in the fridge and freezer: www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au

OLD FRIDGES

A typical fridge manufactured today uses about a third of the energy of a fridge made 15 years ago. Old fridges are very inefficient and could be costing you a significant amount of money in your energy bill.

If you have an old fridge at home it is likely to be very inefficient by today’s standards. It may be worth replacing due to the high running costs.

CAN I RECYCLE MY FRIDGE?

If you do decide to dispose of an old fridge it will not go to waste. The materials of a fridge are highly recyclable and there are services available to help manage their disposal. When you buy a new fridge the retailer may

even offer to take the old one away for you.

There’s also ‘Fridge Buyback’, an energy savings program that may actually pay you to give up your old second fridge or upright freezer. www.fridgebuyback.com.au

FRIDGE MAINTENANCE

Taking good care of your fridge is important. Some things to consider to ensure your fridge is operating at peak efficiency are:

Make sure that it is located where the ambient temperature is not too high, and that it is well ventilated so that it operates at maximum efficiency.
Ensure that there is at least 75mm of air space around every side of the fridge
If you have a fridge with an exposed ‘coil’ on the back (usually a thin black pipe in a zigzag shape) make sure that it is not covered in dust or cobwebs.
Make sure the door seals are intact. Replace them if they become worn or damaged.

HOW DO I CHOOSE AN EFFICIENT MODEL?

When thinking about buying a fridge looking at the amount of electricity it uses each year, it’s Kilowatt Hours (kWh) rating, is important. A lower kWh rating means that the fridge will use less energy in the home. Remember size matters when thinking about fridges – a smaller fridge may often have a lower kWh rating than a larger fridge.

Only buy the size of fridge that you need, and try to buy the one with the lowest kWh rating in that size range.