Refrigerators

ENERGY STAR® refrigerators start at about $600 and - depending on manufacturer, features and finish - can cost more than $3,000. Replacing a 1990 fridge should save you about $65 a year in electricity costs.	Little effort required beyond a bit of research.	Replacing a 1990 refrigerator with a new ENERGY STAR model could reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by about 0.6 tonnes per year.

Refrigerators are typically one of the largest electricity users in Alberta homes. By replacing an older refrigerator with a new ENERGY STAR-rated model, you could cut its electrical consumption by 25 to 60 per cent, depending on the age of your old refrigerator.  You would also save on your utility bill and significantly reduce your greenhouse gas emissions.

What is an ENERGY STAR-qualified refrigerator?

Refrigerators with this label are the most energy efficient in their class. As of April 28, 2008, refrigerators must use at least 20 per cent less energy than the minimum Government of Canada energy performance standards, for refrigerators in their class, to qualify for the ENERGY STAR label. This new requirement is up from the previous 15 per cent and reflects the improving energy efficiency of many new refrigerators. For a list of manufacturers and models of ENERGY STAR-qualified refrigerators, click here.

Why should I replace my old refrigerator with a new ENERGY STAR model?

Thanks to ever-tougher government standards and improved technologies, new refrigerators are far more energy efficient than their predecessors. A typical 1984 refrigerator, for example, is rated to use 1,457 kilowatt hours (kwh) of electricity per year, and a 1990 model 1,044 kwh (their actual electrical consumption usually worsens as they get older). By comparison, many of today's ENERGY STAR refrigerators use less than 400 kwh per year, with some models consuming as little as 285. In other words, a new ENERGY STAR fridge only uses about one quarter the electricity of a 1984 model and less than half that of a 1990 model.

What are the cost savings?

At 10 cents a kilowatt hour, you could save about $110 a year on your utility bill by replacing a 1984 refrigerator with a new ENERGY STAR model and about $65 by replacing a 1990 refrigerator. So if you bought the least expensive ENERGY STAR model - about $600 for an 18.2-cubic-foot refrigerator with a top-mounted freezer - the payback period would be six years for replacing the 1984 refrigerator and 10 years from the 1990 refrigerator. For the rest of the typical 17 year lifespan of a refrigerator, those utility savings would be money in your pocket.

Do ENERGY STAR refrigerators cost more than non-qualifying models?

Generally speaking, any price difference is minimal and will soon be recovered in energy savings. By far the biggest cost premium on refrigerators is for high-end brands and special features and finishes.

How do ENERGY STAR fridges achieve their high energy efficiency?

They typically have high-efficiency compressors, improved insulation, better heat-transfer surfaces, and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms. Indeed, the improved insulation helps make them much quieter than noisy older refrigerators.

Is ENERGY STAR certification available for refrigerators with side-by-side doors or bottom-mounted freezers?

Yes. Many people like the conveniences of these arrangements, though they tend to cost more than models with top-mounted freezers - and use more energy. For example, one popular brand of 18.5-cubic-foot refrigerator uses about 390 kwh per year if the freezer is on top, and 448 kwh if it's on the bottom. Side-by-side 20-cubic-foot models (they generally don't come any smaller) consume upwards of 500 kwh. So a top-mounted freezer is easily your best energy bet.

What size of refrigerator should I buy?

Generally speaking, you want the smallest size that meets your needs. The larger the refrigerator, the more energy it uses. A typical 16.5-cubic-foot ENERGY STAR model might use 368 kwh per year, while its 20.2-cubic-foot counterpart might use 460. If you make a regular habit of cleaning out old items and removing foods and drinks that don't really need refrigerating, you may find you have more usable space than you think.

Are there other reasons for buying an ENERGY STAR refrigerator?

Yes. These new fridges often keep produce fresh for longer periods, and their freezers generally have automatic defrost, meaning non ice buildup. They also have a lot of modern features that homeowners generally like, though ice makers and through-the-door ice and water dispensers do use more energy.

Once I've bought an ENERGY STAR refrigerator, what can I do to maximize it's energy efficiency?

• Set the refrigerator temperature to between 1.7 and 3.3 degrees Celsius (35-38 Fahrenheit) and the freezer to -18 degrees Celsius (0 degrees Fahrenheit). If your model offers it, an energy-saver switch allows you to adjust the energy use.
• Refrigerator motors and compressors generate heat. If that heat can't escape, it makes the refrigerator work harder and consume more energy. So allow enough space around the refrigerator (at least a couple of centimetres) for continuous airflow.
• Don't place your refrigerator in direct sunlight or close to heat sources such as ovens or dishwashers.
• Allow hot foods to cool before refrigerator.
• Minimize the amount of time the refrigerator door is open.
• Keep the freezer full but don't stuff the fridge, which needs some air circulation to operate most efficiently.

Note: if you don't keep a lot of frozen food and go through it fairly quickly, try using just your refrigerator freezer and unplugging your stand-alone freezer. That could cut your electric consumption by at least a few hundred kwh per year.

What about my beer fridge in the basement?

Get rid of it. Such refrigerators are often ancient and consume huge quantities of electricity, often costing well over $100 a year to operate. Chance are you don't really need it anyway.

Can I recycle my old refrigerator?

When you buy an ENERGY STAR refrigerator, ask retailers if they will remove and recycle your old refrigerator. If not, check with local scrap metal dealers to see if they will pay for, or accept, your refrigerator.