Tips on the Best Practices to Reduce the Amount of Energy Your Refrigerator Uses

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Image Credit: Whirlpool

Image Credit: Whirlpool

According to EnergyStar these five tips will help to reduce the amount of energy your refrigerator uses:

  1. set the appropriate temperature. keep your refrigerator at 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. place your fridge in a cool place. position your refrigerator away from a heat source such as an oven, a dishwasher, or direct sunlight from a window.
  3. allow air circulation behind the fridge. leave a few inches between the wall and the refrigerator, and keep the condenser coils  clean if you ave an older model. read the users manual to learn how to safely clean coils. coil cleaning brushes can be purchased at most hardware stores.
  4. check the door seals. make sure the refrigerator seals around the door are airtight. if not, replace them.
  5. keep the door closed. minimize the amount of time the refrigerator door is open

Tips on Purchasing a New Refrigerator

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It's time to purchase a new refrigerator, whether the reason is because your remodeling and would like to upgrade or your current one stopped working. Take into consideration these tips on what to look for when purchasing a refrigerator today.

 
 

Tip 1: To ensure it's energy efficient look for an Energy Star model.

Tip 2: Look for the yellow EnergyGuide label. This label can be used to determine the model's energy use and you can create an annual estimate of operating costs.  Comparing the energy use to similar models will help determine which model is best for your needs. 

Tip 3: Top-mounted freezers use 10-25% less energy than bottom-mounted or side-by-side models.

Tip 4: Choose the right size refrigerator for your space. Generally, the larger the appliance, the greater the energy consumption. 

Tip 5: Besides being a higher cost, automatic ice-makers and through-the-door ice dispensers can increase energy use by 14-20%.

Image credit: GE Appliances

Image credit: GE Appliances