Energy Efficient Refrigerator

Lowering Energy Costs

These refrigerators use less power than non-efficient units which translates to a lower utility bill for you each month.

When shopping for these units, you'll find it important to focus on lowering costs by looking for the most energy efficient, best rated refrigerators.

By the way, these freezer tips will also help you when it comes to frugal spending.

Below, you'll see how you can increase your home energy savings.

The Best Rated Refrigerators And Cost Savings

The second number is the energy cost savings you reap over time by owning a refrigerator that’s energy efficient.

So, if you want to maximize your cost savings when shopping for your fridge, you'll want to take a look at these tips:

• Refrigerator Configuration. Before you even begin shopping, you'll want to have an idea of how big of a refrigerator you'll actually need.

  The most energy efficient units range from 16 to 20 cubic feet. You don't want to go too small and not have enough capacity; nor do you want to go too big, which will waste unnecessary energy costs.

  Top freezer models are also more efficient than the side by side models.

• Energy Vampires. You'll save cash by shopping for a manual defrost unit. Automatic defrost refrigerators use almost twice as much energy as their manual counterparts.

  You can also cut your refrigerator costs significantly by not opting for an ice maker. This will also free up additional freezer space for you.

• Energy Guide Label. You'll love this tip. While at the store shopping, take a look at the yellow energy guide label. The label will indicate a couple of important numbers.

  First, it will tell you how much electricity the fridge will use in kilowatt hours. The less kilowatt's used, the better. Second, it will indicate how many annual dollars it will cost you to operate the unit in electricity costs.

  Compare these key numbers with other refrigerators with the same features that you’re looking for (i.e.: same cubic feet, manual defrost, no ice cube maker, top mounted freezer) and go with the best cost savings.

• Warranty. Don't forget to compare the warranties. The longer the warranty, the better.

  You'll want to have an on-site warranty that covers the bulk of the unit's cost; which is the compressor. Try and get a warranty that's 10 years or more.

  Believe me, it's worth it. Our refrigerator's compressor went out 6 months shy of the 10 year mark. The part and service call ran approximately $700.

  Had we not had that warranty, we would have ended up having to buy another refrigerator. Generally, if a compressor is going to go, it will go before the unit hits 10 years.

How To Further Lower The Costs Of Your Energy Efficient Refrigerator

• Even with the best refrigerators, leaving some space between your refrigerator and the wall will allow for more efficient air flow for the unit.
• Clean the coils at least annually. If you allow the coils to get too dirty, you'll find that your refrigerator’s compressor will have to work harder to do its job; costing you more money. This doesn't include the wear and tear on the unit.
• Refuse an ice maker. I know I mentioned this earlier, but ice makers burn more energy. You'll also save money on the purchase price of your unit by not having the ice maker included.
• You should make sure you manually defrost your unit. If the frost builds up to a 1/4 to 1/2 inch, it's time to defrost.

Efficient Refrigerator Summary

If put to use, these nuts and bolts strategies will keep more of your cash where it belongs; with you!