BROWSE HOW TOs

How to Buy an Energy Efficient Refrigerator

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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When people think about energy efficient appliances, most are thinking about hot water heaters or air conditioning units. But the fact is, any major appliance that uses electricity or any major fuel source should be considered as well. Your refrigerator, for example, may be one of the most overlooked appliances in your home when it comes to energy efficiency. Buy a new one to help reduce monthly costs.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Step1

Examine the construction of the refrigerator, taking note of such things as the quality of the seal (how much effort is needed to open the door), as well as the depth and thickness of the hull. These are all major factors that contribute towards increasing the energy efficiency of the refrigerator.

Step2

Buy an energy efficient refrigerator that includes more accurate temperature controls. Some older, less efficient refrigerator models feature temperature gauges that were numbered arbitrarily. Newer, more energy efficient refrigerator designs now include actual thermostat settings, so you can choose precisely the temperature you want for both the fridge and the freezer.

Step3

Buy a refrigerator that operates independently of a freezer. This helps in two ways. First, it maximizes the space of both units (although it will increase the overall footprint of your food storage). Secondly, this limits the amount of radiant loss from one unit to the other--in a standard refrigerator freezer unit, the cold of the freezer would invariably "leak" into the refrigerator.

Step4

Buy as small a refrigerator as you feel you can use comfortably in your home. Smaller refrigerators use, in general, must less energy than larger ones since there is far less volume to cool. A family of four will likely need a bigger fridge, but for a small family one with less than 15 cubic feet of space should be plenty.

Step5

Consider any savings or incentives offered when you plan to buy an energy efficient refrigerator. Sometimes stores will have specials or deals on particular models.

Tips & Warnings

Calculate exactly how much money you are going to save each month in energy costs by examining the Energy Star label on the refrigerator you are interested in. In most cases a new, energy efficient refrigerator can save you between $30 and $100 per month.
Be aware that some energy efficient models, particularly those custom built directly into the structure of your home, can be incredibly expensive. Over time this expense can pay for itself both in energy savings, as well as improved home value, but be aware that the upfront costs can be prohibitive for some.