Pay less (up to £35 a year!) to keep cool
Fridges and freezers account for just under a quarter of your electricity bill. They are on for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If your fridge or freezer doesn't use energy efficiently, you could be using a lot more in electricity than you need to, needlessly paying more and contributing to Climate Change.
However, the good news is that the newest most energy efficient models use under half the electricity of models made 10 years ago. You can save up to £35 a year off your electricity bill. But you do need to look out to make sure that the model you are buying is the most efficient type.
You should look out for fridges with an A+ EU energy rating. The EU rating system goes up to A++, but currently we have found no models on sale with major retailers that achieve more than a A+ rating. Another good sign is if the appliance carries the Energy Saving Recommended logo.
You should also think carefully about the size of fridge or freezer you buy. As a general rule, the larger they are, the more energy they will use. Large American-style fridges, for example, often use twice the energy of the most efficient models. A 300 litre capacity (over 10 cubic feet) should be enough for most people.
Two tips for saving energy with your fridge or freezer
Regardless of whether your fridge is new or old, there are a couple of simple actions you can take to reduce its energy use:
- Put fridges or freezers in the coldest room in the house, and keep them out of the sun. This reduces the work they need to do to keep a cold temperature, and can save 30% of the electricity you use
- Run the fridge or freezer at the highest possible temperature that still maintains safe food. For example, the recommended temperature for a freezer is -18 degrees centigrade
