Post on 01-Aug-2020
section 7 Since appliance standards are getting
more efficient all the time, that old fridge
or freezer in your basement might be
costing you over $330 per year to keep
plugged in. That’s nearly five times as
much as a new fridge would cost to run
per year. New fridges also have no
freon, so they don’t hurt the ozone layer.
The fridge can be the appliance in your
home that uses the most electricity. If
you have a fridge or freezer more than
10 years old, you should use a Kill A
Watt meter to figure out how much en-
ergy it’s drawing. Then you can decide if
the time has come to upgrade or unplug
it.
Tip: The kWh/Hour button is a toggle switch. If you want to check how many hours have elapsed since you plugged it in, press it once. To toggle it back to how many kWh have been used since you plugged it in, press the button again.
This information comes from Energy Star’s fridge calculator site and Con-sumer Reports (June 2012) at 14 cents per kWh for an average-size fridge with a freezer on the top.
old fridges or freezers
How to reduce your fridge or freezer’s electricity use
• Energy savings per decade: Up to
$2,063 and 16,448 lbs. of CO2 (As-
suming you unplug a 1991 fridge with
a top freezer and 20 cubic feet of stor-
age)
• Level of difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $0 (if you get rid of a second
fridge you don’t need)
• $400 to $900 (on average if you
need to buy a new fridge/freezer)
• How long it takes: A day to check
the fridge’s electricity use, and a couple of hours shopping
• Tools & materials: A Kill A Watt me-
ter, extension cord, a phone and maybe a Consumer Reports sub-scription
Because a fridge or freezer’s compressor
cycles on and off—radically changing its
electricity use—you need to measure how
much electricity the appliance draws over
a whole day to get an accurate idea of
how much it actually costs.
1. Unplug the fridge/freezer, plug the Kill
A Watt into the outlet, and then plug
the appliance into the Kill A Watt.
Tip: If the plug is hard to reach or see, you might want to plug a grounded (three-prong) extension cord into the wall socket first, and then plug the Kill A Watt and the fridge into that, so you can pull the Kill A Watt out to read it without having to crawl between the fridge and the wall.
Tip: Don’t unplug the fridge in the middle of the compressor running (i.e., when the fridge is making its humming noise). Un-plugging it then can hurt the compressor. If you do, you should wait at least a few min-utes before plugging it back in.
2. Press the red button labeled kWh/
Hour so the meter counts the kWh
used by the appliance over time, as
well as the number of hours that have
passed.
3. 24 hours later (preferably exactly 24
hours), read the display. The number
displayed is how many cumulative
kWh the fridge/freezer used in one
day. DO NOT unplug the Kill A Watt in
order to get the meter close enough to
read it. The kWh reading will disappear
as soon as you unplug it.
4. Use our Fridge/Freezer Calculator to figure out
how much the appliance
costs to run and whether it’s time for
you to upgrade or unplug it.
If you need to buy a new fridge, consider
one that:
• has the freezer on top and the fridge
on the bottom
• doesn't deliver ice through the door
• is not a side-by-side model
• is the smallest you can manage with
• is labeled Energy Star
Keep in mind that the estimated cost of
electricity for the appliance (as shown on
the Energy Star label) is calculated using
the national average cost for electricity.
New England’s rates are about 30% higher
than the national average, meaning that
the electricity use of any fridge you buy
will cost you 30% more than the label says
it will.
To predict the cost of running your new ap-
pliance, multiply how much you pay per
kWh by the estimated annual kWh use dis-
played on the Energy Star Label.
If you don’t have a Kill A Watt meter, a less
accurate way to figure out how much elec-
tricity your fridge/freezer consumes per
year is this Energy Star fridge/freezer calculator. Enter your kWh cost, and the
year and size of your appliance. Both year
and size should be on a manufacturer’s la-
bel on the inside or outside.
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Recycling and rebatesHere’s an Energy Star video showing
how your fridge or freezer can be recy-
cled. Many stores (such as Best Buy) and
some utilities will pick up and recycle your
old appliance. Some will even pay you a
rebate when you buy your new more effi-
cient fridge.
Through Energy Star, you can get an up-
dated local list of applicable offers from utilities, retailers and manufacturers. Also check with your state energy office
and municipal waste management office
to see if they have any offers. Some will
offer rebates for recycling or for buying a
new Energy Star appliance.
If you live in Massachusetts, call Mass
Save and they will pick up the appliance,
recycle 95% of it and give you $50.
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