Your fridge and freezer are on day and night, every day of the year and the cost of powering them will probably make up about 7% of your energy bill.
So it makes sense to look carefully at their energy efficiency credentials, and to make sure you help them to run in the most efficient way possible - it could help cut how much you spend on electricity.
Read on for tips for an energy-efficient fridge and freezer and advice on choosing a new one.
Seven tips to make your fridge and freezer more energy-efficient
- If it's practical, place your fridge away from your cooker and make sure it isn't in direct sunlight - it will operate more efficiently if it's in a cool spot.
- Keep the fridge at least 10cm from the wall, as this will allow the coils to work most efficiently, they should also be dust-free, so vacuum them every few months, but remember to unplug the fridge first.
- Keep your fridge at between 3 and 5°C and your freezer at -18 °C.
- Don't put hot food in the fridge; it takes more energy to cool hot food.
- Keep your fridge and freezer filled - bottles of tap water can fill empty space in the fridge, and you can fill empty space in the freezer with screwed up newspaper.
- Make sure the door seals are effective and keep them clean to make sure a good seal is maintained.
- If your fridge doesn't defrost automatically, keep an eye out for any signs of ice and defrost it regularly.
Do you need a new fridge and/or freezer?
If your fridge and/or freezer is over ten years old, it may well be time to consider a replacement.
High efficiency compressors, improved insulation and more accurate temperature and defrost mechanisms mean newer models are far more energy-efficient. This means your initial outlay could be offset over time by reduced running costs.
How to choose an energy-efficient fridge/freezer
Fridges and freezers like other white goods are rated according to their energy efficiency. The EU energy label grades products from A (best) to G (worst) for energy use, with the scale going up to A++ for fridges and freezers. Top performing products carry the blue Energy Saving Recommended logo, which means the product meets strict criteria set by the government and the Energy Saving Trust.
But, with fridges and freezers, this isn't the only consideration. The EU A-G rating is a rating based on energy consumption per litre or cubic foot of storage, and it is easier to make a machine more efficient if it is larger. So a larger A-rated fridge may be more energy-efficient, but can consume more electricity than a smaller B-rated model.
That's why it is important to buy the smallest fridge and/or freezer you can for your needs, because typically a smaller appliance will cost you less to run. To determine running costs and to compare them across different makes and models, look at the annual consumption figure in kWh, which can also be found on the energy label. The lower this figure the more economical the fridge will be to run.
If you are choosing a new fridge and freezer it is worth remembering that a unit with the freezer on top (or underneath) the fridge is more energy-efficient than a side-by-side unit, which uses up to 20% more energy. So, if this will fit in your kitchen, it is definitely the most efficient option.
See more energy-saving tips.