Fridge Freezers & Energy Use

Fridge Freezers

An appliance most households have in their home that runs 24/7.

But, how old is your fridge freezer and how much energy does it use? 

My Whirlpool uses 1.39kW per 24 hours 

That is 507.35kWh per year 

At my current suppliers Bulb Oct 2022 electric rate of 35.056p or £0.35056 per kWh: 

507.35kWh x £0.35056 = £177.86 per year 

That cost is only if I keep my fridge freezer running optionally by ensuring the back is clean, defrosted regularly, food stored correctly, gaps around sides and back wide enough for air movement and ventilation, my settings are optional depending upon outdoor temperature, where the appliance is situated, keep my freezer fairly full, ensure door seals are not faulty or broken, and if we are using it effectively by not leaving the doors open for any length of time.. 

So, I am looking for a new reasonably priced and more energy efficient model to save me on running costs. 

Recently the way fridge freezers are rated changed a little. 

This is the chart you will find when looking to buy a fridge freezer.

A is most efficient and G is the least efficient

 

When looking for a new more energy efficient fridge freezer please keep an eye out for the energy efficiency rating, and also check how many XYZ kWh / per year it will typically use. There is a massive difference in energy usage between the different energy ratings.

For example: 

Few models appear to currently be on the market that are rated A 

Samsung rated A 108kWh per year.

Costs £37.86 per year to run. 

Bosch rated D 208kWh per year 

Costs £72.91 per year to run.

Samsung & Bosch rated E 254kWh per year.

Costs £89.04 per year to run.

It is time consuming to search for the kWh per year of each appliance, let's hope soon that ALL electrical goods have a kWh per hour/year clearly labelled that can be seen straight away. 

The energy efficiency chart A to G helps somewhat, but with the way energy prices keep rising we are left looking after the pennies, so we really need actual numbers to do our sums with.  

If you are shopping online with international sellers like Amazon some of them are rated in different ways so it's best to take a closer look at the energy consumption details. 

In case you didn't know the chart recently changed: 

It is important to know this is how the old and new charts correlate. 

An old A+++ is a new B, C or D 

An old A++ is a new D or E 

An old A+ is a new E or F..

The energy rating of fridge freezers is important but so is the way you use and look after your fridge freezer 

1.. Required space beside and behind your fridge freezer to allow for air movement 

2. Door seals working well or do they need replacing and keep these clean so they work well

3. Regularly clean and remove dust and dirt from behind your fridge freezer especially away from the condenser coil which looks like a grid, a build up of dirt and grime will reduce the energy efficiency up to as much as 25%

4. The position of fridge freezers is important away from direct sunlight, and away from other big appliances, if the fridge freezer is near high energy consuming products they will keep your fridge freezer warmer, this makes your fridge freezer work harder to keep cooler 

5. Never place warm items in the fridge, wait until they are completely cool 

6. Defrost items in the fridge over night 

7. Wrap items tightly when placing them in the freezer 

8. Don't leave the doors open if possible grab what you need quickly and close the doors. If you try to keep an organised fridge freezer then it is easier to find what you are looking for and close the door faster 

9. If you're fridge freezer is not frost free then ensure to defrost it regularly 

10. Keep your freezer fuller if possible they work better when they are fuller, however do not over fill it  

11. When your model needs replacing look into buying a more energy efficient model to reduce your running costs 

Other advice and tips about How to Save Money on Your Energy Bills 

Looking on Currys for a fridge freezer we can filter search results by energy rating like this: 

Select Filters

Can also Toggle on/off to 

'Hide out of stock'

Scroll down to energy rating 

Select down arrow

When list appears can select the ratings you would like to see, here I have selected A+ B and C 

Then select show results.

Now this is an example of an energy rated B fridge freezer 

To find out the actual kWh / per annum 

Just under the green "B" 

Select "Product fiche" 

Then when prompted "Open" 

This is what you will see

If you scroll down about a third of the first page you can see this fridge freezer has "Annual Energy Consumption" of 134kW / a (per annum) 

At my current rates £0.35056 it would cost me £46.97 to run per year. 

On other shopping websites the "Product fiche" might be called "Product data sheet" or "Product details".