| you rush out and get a new energy efficient fridge, | | | | readings.) |
| it's useful to realize how much electricity your old | | | | 4. Wait at least 36 hours to measure. Ideally you |
| fridge consumes. Why? Here are three reasons. | | | | should wait 72 to 96 hours. If you keep pressing the |
| First, because you'll be looking at Energy Guide labels | | | | red button on the Kill A Watt meter you will see |
| on the new units, to figure out which ones will be the | | | | readings for, among others, the time elapsed, and |
| cheapest to operate, and you might as well have an | | | | the kilowatt hours consumed. You can determine |
| idea of how they compare to your current fridge. | | | | kilowatt hours per day using this formula:kwh/day = |
| Second, if you plan to replace your refrigerator | | | | kwh / ((hours/24)+(minutes/1440)) |
| mainly to save energy, you might find that you don't | | | | So if the final reading is 2.37 kwh and the elapsed |
| need to. Although today's fridges are considerably | | | | hours is 34h22m, the kwh/day would be 2.37 / ((34 |
| more efficient than those of a decade back, your | | | | 24)+(22/1440)), or 1.655 kwh/day. Don't wait longer |
| refrigerator may turn out to be efficient enough that | | | | than 96 hours to do your reading, because the time |
| there isn't a strong motivation to upgrade. You might | | | | elapsed measurement wraps to zero at 99h59m. |
| save more energy, for the same investment, on | | | | Most refrigerators are rated in terms of kwh |
| weatherproofing or a new window or two. | | | | consumed per year, so to compare your old fridge |
| Third, you may discover your existing fridge uses so | | | | with what's for sale now, you can multiply the kwh |
| much energy, that a refrigerator tune-up will save | | | | day value by 365. Our example fridge getting 1.655 |
| you money even in the few short weeks before you | | | | kwh/day consumes 604 kwh/year. A 16 cubic foot |
| buy the new model. Things that can really help are: | | | | Sun Frost refrigerator, in contrast - one of the most |
| checking the door gaskets for a good seal, checking | | | | efficient fridges on the market - consumes only 254 |
| the temperature in both compartments (38-40F for | | | | kwh/year. |
| fridge, 5F for freezer), making sure the compressor | | | | You can see how your existing fridge stacks up |
| and coils are free of dust; and ensuring good airflow | | | | against new models by looking in the refrigerators |
| around the unit. Even if you discover your old | | | | database, for models that are similar to your |
| refrigerator is an electricity guzzler and you do a DIY | | | | refrigerator. Fridge efficiency standards have gone up |
| checkup, you may discover that the tune-up on its | | | | in recent years, and a refrigerator usually consumes |
| own will translate into significant energy savings. | | | | more electricity as it ages, due to degrading gaskets, |
| Your current refrigerator could easily be costing you | | | | dust buildup on compressor and coils, wear and tear |
| $30 to $80 a year more than it ought to, and your | | | | on the motor, and sometimes coolant depletion. And |
| new refrigerator may turn out to be less efficient | | | | ENERGY STAR rated refrigerators must be a |
| than its Energy Guide label says, depending on how | | | | minimum of 20% better than the standard, so if you |
| you use it. But if you just blindly assume that a fridge | | | | own an old refrigerator that was not ENERGY STAR |
| consumes what its label claims, you'll be leaving a lot | | | | rated to start with, you can see there is a big |
| of savings on the table. | | | | potential for savings, especially if you know what the |
| What if I told you that $25 could save you at least | | | | old fridge uses. |
| $35 a year, every year? It turns out that there is an | | | | The efficiency standard for refrigerators varies based |
| inexpensive tool that can do just what we're after: | | | | on configuration (top or bottom freezer, side-by-side, |
| measure the energy use of your fridge. | | | | or no freezer), volume, defrost features, and coolant |
| I purchased a Kill A Watt meter about four years | | | | type. And the formula is so complex that few people |
| back and have used it to measure the electricity | | | | other than US EPA and DOE officials, and appliance |
| consumption of many appliances in my house. I have | | | | company engineers, can really understand it. So |
| also lent it to many others so that they could | | | | rather than look at the standard let's consider some |
| uncover electricity savings of their own. These | | | | examples. |
| devices and other power monitors like them are | | | | An ENERGY STAR rated, 10 cubic foot, auto defrost |
| available for around $25 and they tell you how many | | | | unit that consumes 309 kilowatt hours per year, is |
| kilowatt hours per day (kwh/day) an appliance like a | | | | 21% better than the minimum standard for its class. |
| fridge consumes. A measurement takes about three | | | | A 14 cubic foot partially automatic defrost unit that |
| days, because a refrigerator cycles on and off, and | | | | uses 254 kwh/year, is an amazing 36% better than |
| only a longer measurement levels the peaks and | | | | the standard requires. |
| valleys of the refrigerator's electrical use. But once | | | | As you can see, even for units that sport an |
| you have that reading, you will know what your | | | | ENERGY STAR logo, there is a wide range of |
| refrigerator consumes and you can start planning | | | | efficiencies, and don't forget that a large unit that |
| actions to save energy, or you will be able to make a | | | | exceeds the standard by 36% may still use more |
| more informed decision about replacing your old | | | | energy than a smaller fridge that exceeds the |
| refrigerator. | | | | standard by only 20%, if the minimum standard for |
| The Kill A Watt meter measures electricity | | | | the two refrigerators is different. If you can |
| consumption in a number of ways. The important | | | | downsize your refrigerator when you buy a new |
| readings for our discussion are time elapsed and | | | | one, you will definitely save more money. |
| kilowatt hours used. The Kill A Watt meter measures | | | | Once you have established how much energy your |
| both of these values from the moment it is plugged | | | | fridge consumes (it should be somewhere between |
| in, so if you plug in the Kill A Watt meter, then plug | | | | 400 and 600 kwh/year, depending on the size of |
| your fridge into that immediately, you'll begin to see | | | | unit, or even more if you have wasteful features |
| how much electricity your refrigerator is using once a | | | | such as side-by-side doors or an ice and cold water |
| minimum of 24 hours have passed. Here's the | | | | dispenser) you can compare the energy use of your |
| process: | | | | refrigerator to those at the ENERGY STAR website, |
| 1. Pull your fridge away from the wall. Unplug it and | | | | and decide if it's time to do a fridge tune up, or |
| plug an extension cord into the outlet instead. | | | | replace your refrigerator altogether. |
| 2. Plug the Kill A Watt meter into the other end of | | | | If you're lucky, you may discover that the model you |
| the extension cord, and the refrigerator into that. | | | | have now is already an energy saving refrigerator. If |
| Leave the meter where its display is visible. | | | | not, at least the Kill A Watt meter will prove to be a |
| 3. Push the fridge back. (You can just stick the meter | | | | great tool for seeing if your new fridge measures up |
| between the wall socket and the refrigerator, if that | | | | to its billing. |
| enables you to see the unit while you're doing | | | | |