subject: Important Factors to Consider when getting a Fridge [print this page] While there are dozens of cheap fridges available today, the new push is for energy-saving freezers that can help your pocketbook and the environment. This guide will help you to choose the best energy-saving fridge or freezer based on the criteria that you are looking for.
What is the Need for an Energy Efficient Fridge?
Your refrigerator / freezer is one of the hungriest consumers of energy at home. But if your American style fridge freezer has been around for more than 5 years, chances are that it does not work very efficiently. Replacing your unit with energy efficient models might cost you in the short term but you'll be able to recover those expenses quite fast because of the reduction in your energy bill.
New fridge freezers are designed with energy efficiency in mind, so they are much more environmentally friendly than the one that have been in your kitchen for years. While your old refrigerator / freezer may have cost you 150 per year in electricity, newer models like a Samsung fridge freezer can cost you just 13 a year. When you think about it, that's more than 10 times the efficiency of a decade ago. To calculate the cost of a new refrigerator or freezer, check the consumption stats that should be printed on the label of the new fridge, and multiply the kWh consumption by the cost per kWh. You can usually get this from your electricity company.
Understanding Product Specifications
A modern fridge / freezer holding 10 cubic liters of storage consumes about 300 kWh per year, and new regulations mean that manufacturers must declare the use of their power on a label on the front panel.Estimates for the refrigerator or freezer consumption are determined in accordance with average power consumption. Anything in the "A" range is ranked the most environmentally friendly, because it means that the model uses less energy. Look at the label to reveal the average power consumption for one year. On the label, you'll also see cubic storage space of the refrigerator. Bigger refrigerator-freezers will cost more to run, so do not buy one that is more than you need.
Use of Fridge Freezer for Energy Saving
Choosing a model with a thermostat is a great idea for refrigerators and freezers. While this is a little more money, the thermostat will allow you to watch your consumption very carefully by monitoring the temperature. Instead of oscillating, your freezer will stay at the temperature you select. You can control this variable in differing climates to allow you to store your food at the perfect temperature. If the temperature rises outside, the thermostat will detect this and cool the unit so that the refrigerator or freezer maintains the desired temperature. You can reduce the power used by fridges by installing a Savaplug, a device developed jointly with the government. This reduces your power level during the period when your refrigerator is not active.
Among the other features that will be important to look at are: Wheels, the racks (shelving), the frost-free option, a separate thermostat for the refrigerator and freezer, ice cube tray availability, and an ice maker.
Important Factors to Consider when getting a Fridge
