High Efficiency Refrigerator Comparison
Increased costs of energy have led to a parallel interest among homeowners in the cost efficiency of their home appliances -- in particular, how they can improve the cost efficiency of the appliances they use the most. Refrigerators, for example, can mean extreme savings or extreme costs. By consulting some expert opinion, you can compare the cost efficiency of different types of refrigerators and make an informed decision for your home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Refrigerator Efficiency
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According to the California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center, refrigerators consume one-sixth of all the electricity in a typical home, making choosing an efficient refrigerator critical to improving the energy efficiency of your home. Over the previous 20 years, the energy efficiency of refrigerators has improved vastly, and federal and state regulations require all commercially sold refrigerators to meet minimum efficiency requirements. Making informed choices, however, can improve the efficiency of your refrigerators above the federally required standards.
Freezers
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Among the most important choices to make when seeking to improve the efficiency of your refrigerator concerns the freezer. Refrigerators with freezers built in to the top or bottom of the refrigerator are much more energy efficient than side-by-side refrigerator and freezer combinations. Depending on whether the freezer is on the top or the bottom of the refrigerator, these refrigerators can be 13 to 16 percent more energy efficient than side-by-side refrigerator combos.
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Energy Star Ratings
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An important way to make more energy efficient choices when shopping for refrigerators is to inspect EnergyStar ratings. EnergyStar-approved refrigerators are required by federal law to use at least 20 percent less energy than unapproved models. On average, EnergyStar-approved models save $165 in energy costs over the lifetime of the refrigerator. Among EnergyStar-approved models, some are more energy efficient than others, so shop around and inspect the EnergyStar labels on each for efficiency ratings.
Other Considerations
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Door-installed icemakers and water dispensers are favored by many, but they can increase the energy usage of your refrigerators by 14 to 20 percent. A manual defrost feature can also use half the energy of an automatic defrost. Note, however, that a failure to regularly defrost a manual defrost refrigerator will greatly reduce the efficiency of the refrigerator. Keep the refrigerator clean and well-maintained at all times -- particularly the refrigerator's coils.
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