Save energy: With these tricks, your refrigerator eats less electricity
Created: 10/15/2022 13:07
By: Stella Henrich
Older refrigerators are real energy guzzlers.
But even with new devices, electricity can be saved in order not to drive up the energy bill unnecessarily.
Here are a few energy saving tips.
Munich – Consumers are now having to dig deeper and deeper into their pockets for groceries.
Most products end up in the refrigerator or freezer after purchase.
Only drinks can be chilled on the balcony when the outside temperature is cold.
However, no one can really do without a well-functioning cooling device.
But these devices - both the refrigerator and the freezer - can be real power guzzlers in the home.
After all, they run non-stop.
No consumer simply turns them off at night.
There is also no standby function for it.
Here is an overview of how consumers can still save electricity in order to keep energy costs under control.
If you follow these tips, you can save a lot of money:
With a few tricks, you can also save electricity in the refrigerator.
(Iconic image) © Michael Gstettenbauer/imago
Location:
Do not place the refrigerator near a heat source such as an oven, dishwasher, or heater.
Hot food:
Do not put hot products in the refrigerator.
It is better to let the food
cool down first
and then put it in the appliance as soon as it has cooled down.
In concrete terms, this means that the pot with the still warm pasta does not belong in the refrigerator.
Proper defrosting:
Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator, because it acts as an
additional cooling element
and relieves the refrigerator of work.
De-ice regularly:
If you have too much ice in the freezer, you make a mistake.
And better de-ice it.
Because too much ice means that the refrigerator has to use
more energy
to achieve the desired sub-zero temperatures in the freezer compartment.
Because a thick layer of ice prevents the cold air from the cooling coils from penetrating the interior, forcing the device to use more energy.
Cooling temperature:
If you set your fridge to the right temperature, you should make sure that it does not exceed seven degrees.
Between four and eight degrees is efficient
.
The cooler the temperature, the more energy the device has to use.
Most consumers can set the degrees manually in the interior themselves.
A temperature of minus 18 degrees is sufficient in the freezer compartment.
Also important: Opening and closing the refrigerator door:
If you open it too often and for too long because you don't know exactly what you want to eat and drink, you should know that valuable energy is wasted unnecessarily.
During this period, an
exchange
of air takes place, which should be
kept as low
as possible .
The temperature inside increases and the refrigerator will try to compensate for this temperature difference.
It takes a lot of energy to do this.
In addition, consumers should always check that the
door is properly closed
and does not remain open when leaving the kitchen.
Better to look once more than once too little.
This saves consumers money in the long run.
Holiday break:
If you are not at home for a long time, it is worth switching off the empty fridge.
Newer models even have a holiday circuit that saves electricity.
According to
The Huffington Post
, consumers can save up to 200% in energy a year by following these tips.
Tips for saving: Pay attention to the energy label when buying a new one
When buying a new refrigerator, it's worth taking a look at the energy label, consumer advocates recommend.
A look at the energy label is worthwhile when buying.
After the conversion of the energy label in March 2021, category A
is best
; the designations A+++, A++ and A+ no longer exist.
Previously, A+++ was the best rating, this now counts as a maximum of class B, C or D. Basically, the larger the refrigerator or fridge-freezer combination, the higher the power consumption.
Consumers who are thinking about buying a new, economical refrigerator should know that, according to the
NRW
consumer advice center, 100 liters more volume increases consumption by 20 percent.
For single or two-person households, a usable volume of 100 to 150 liters is usually sufficient.
If more people live in the household, consumers could count on 50 liters per person, according to the tip of consumer advocates.
As a guide: An economical D fridge with a volume of around 150 liters should not consume more than 90 kilowatt hours per year.
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However, electricity can not only be saved in the kitchen in order to keep one's own electricity savings in the household manageable.
There are also possibilities with laptops, computers, televisions and smartphones.
And who actually knows anything like that?
18 euros can be saved per year if you switch from a PC to a laptop.
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