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Buy a Green(er) Fridge Freezer

Chest Freezer

Energy Efficient the
Greener Fridge Freezer

 

Fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers share one thing in common. They run 365 days a year, 24 hours a day consuming electricity. So it's worth paying attention to how much electricity they use when you buy a new one.

Like many items in the home, they've undergone major changes and become far more efficient in the last few years. A big part of the reason for this in the UK at least, has been legislation requiring the energy efficiency of appliances to be displayed prominently along with the price, influencing buying choices.

It's a simple and easy to understand system ranging originally from A (the best) to G (the worst). Because of the improvements since the system was brought in, they've had to add an A+ and A++. The table below shows the difference in annual running costs these mean with an average fridge freezer.

Energy Efficiency Class Average Annual Cost
A++ Below £14.04
A+ £17.43
A £23.48
B £31.47
C £39.94
D £45.99
E £50.83
F £56.88
G Above £61.00

 

Not only did this system serve to promote the best, it also shamed the worst. After all, who wants to buy something with a red G on it when they can buy something with a green A

What About the Planet?

Having an energy inefficient fridge freezer not only costs you money but also has an environmental impact. So, put simply, aim for an A++ or an A+ energy rating if you want to be kind to the environment, while also saving some money on your electricity bills.

One of those 'gosh' statistics you find on the net is that if everyone in the UK upgraded their old appliances to Energy Saving Recommended products, enough CO2 would be saved to fill over 35 million double-decker buses.

However, it would be insane to throw away perfectly good appliances just because they're old and less efficient. The manufacturing carbon emissions would outweigh the benefits of running cost savings. There are ways you can cut the running costs of old appliances though – check out Fridges & Freezers

We managed to cut the electricity consumption of our fairly elderly upright freezer by a huge 40%. Not something to ignore if you're trying to be frugal and green.

There is an argument that we should do away with fridges and freezers to be really green, but the fact is the saving on growing and storing our own produce, not having to run to the shops every day and avoiding food waste and food poisoning from spoilt produce far outweighs the environmental costs of running a fridge freezer

 

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