Highest Energy Star Ratings for Refrigerators & Freezers
Whether you're an advocate for the environment or just hoping to save a few bucks, examining energy efficiency can cut your costs when buying a new appliance. Refrigerators and small freezers that receive the government's Energy Star label exceed federal efficiency requirements by at least 20 percent. Large freezers must surpass the standards by at least 10 percent. The highest-rated appliances include refrigerators and freezers in a variety of sizes and brands. Does this Spark an idea?
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Large Refrigerators
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Refrigerators with more than 24 cubic feet of capacity that use the fewest kilowatt hours of electricity per year include the LG LFC25776SB, LFC25776SW and LFC25776ST. These French-door models consume 416 kilowatt hours of electricity annually and offer 25 cubic feet of total capacity. Expect to spend about $44 a year to operate them.
The Crosley CFD26SDS holds 26.5 cubic feet of food in a French-door design. It needs 422 kilowatt hours a year, costing you about $45 to run.
The Frigidaire FGUN2642LE, FGUN2642LF and FGUN2642LP have the same design and kilowatt consumption as the Crosley model. They provide 25.8 cubic feet of capacity.
Smaller Full-Size Refrigerators
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High-efficiency, full-size refrigerators with lower capacities include the Sun Frost RF-12, which has a top-mounted freezer and 10.12 cubic feet of space. It consumes 171 kilowatt hours annually, so expect to spend about $18 to operate it each year. You get 14.31 cubic feet of capacity in the Sun Frost RF-16, another top-freezer refrigerator. It needs 254 kilowatt hours every 12 months, which will add about $27 to your utility bills.
The Thermador T24IR70NSP provides only refrigeration space behind a single door in its 13.06 cubic-foot layout. This appliance uses 278 kilowatt hours annually, costing you around $30 to run.
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Upright Freezers
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The Sunbeam DCFM102WSB ranks among the upright freezers using the least amount of power each year. This 3.6 cubic-foot model needs 215 kilowatt hours a year, which translates to an operating cost of $23.
The SPT UF-311S and UF-311W hold 3 cubic feet of frozen items and use 237 kilowatt hours a year. Expect to spend around $25 to power them for a 12-month period.
If you need a higher-capacity upright freezer, your choices include several models with 8.8 cubic feet of capacity. Each uses 325 kilowatt hours annually, costing you about $35 to operate. They are the Black & Decker BU88, Franklin Chef FCF88W, Liberty BMUM089PAW and BMUM089PAB, and Haier HF09UM15NW.
Chest Freezers
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Chest freezers with the highest Energy Star ratings include the Haier ESNCM035E and Danby Designer DCFM99WDD. These models hold 3.5 cubic feet of food and use 170 and 172 kilowatt hours, respectively. Expect to spend about $18 a year to operate them.
Larger options include two models that hold 14.8 cubic feet and consume 354 kilowatt hours every 12 months. Each will add about $38 to your annual utility bills. These models include the Whirlpool EH155FXTQ and the Amana AQC1513TEW.
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