8 Tricks for Improving Your Refrigerator’s Energy Efficiency

Check out our top eight tips for lowering your fridge's energy expenditure!

Your refrigerator is one of your biggest consumers of electricity in your home. While it is certainly essential for keeping perishables cold to prevent spoiling, you may find that some of the power used by your refrigerator is being wasted on unnecessary cooling.

Below is a list of tricks you can use to lower your energy bill while keeping your food cold.

Set an Appropriate Temperature – Rather than simply setting your refrigerator to cool on the lowest setting and consuming more power, choose a higher temperature which adequately keeps your goods fresh and doesn’t use unnecessary power.

Fill Your Fridge – Keep your fridge fully stocked. The more empty space, the more energy your fridge uses to cool that space.

Clear the Coils – Check the coils behind your refrigerator and clean away any dirt and dust. Coils that become dirty over time can act like an insulator for heat, resulting in higher energy use.

Store in a Cool Location – Be sure to position your refrigerator in a cool place within your kitchen, rather than next to the stove or dishwasher, or any other heat producing appliance. You don’t want your fridge to use excess energy to counteract heat produced by neighboring appliances.

Cool Off Hot Food – Avoid placing hot food in a refrigerator. More energy will be used to cool down hot food than if you were to allow to cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge.

Close the Door – Refrain from opening the door unnecessarily, or leaving it open. Each time the door is opened, the fridge must consume electricity to cool back down to the desired temperature.

Cover your Food – Believe it or not, a fridge will use more energy to cool foods with uneven surfaces. Minimize this by covering foods when you place them in your refrigerator.

Secure the Seal – Make sure that your fridge seals properly when closed to prevent cool air from escaping.

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