Energy Star Rated Fridges Can Save You Money

The single appliance in your house that draws more energy per year than any other item is you fridge. The fridge is a power hungry appliance that in some homes can account for more than 50% of the power utilized throughout the home on a yearly basis.

Surprisingly, many homes still have fridges that are over a decade old. There's no problem with owning older appliances, but these appliances are notoriously power hungry. In recent years, every appliance manufacturer has worked diligently to improve the efficiency of all appliances. They have found ways for any appliance to perform as expected and required while cutting power usage sometimes in half.

For homeowners who have an older fridge, replacing it with a current Energy Star rated unit could save you over $100 per year on you electrical bill. Today's Energy Star rated fridges can operate for an entire year costing you as little as $40 in operating costs. Many of the most efficient units will cost ¼ the total operating cost of a fridge made more than ten years ago.

The Energy Star label is a government program that aims to provide consumers with information regarding the energy usage and efficiency of any appliance in the home. This label allows you to compare a model fridge with another model and determine which one is more efficient by simply reading the yellow Energy Star tag attached to the appliance.

When selecting a new fridge, some designs are just more efficient than others. For example, the standard fridge with a freezer on top known as an upright or top freezer model is usually the most efficient design, followed closely by a bottom freezer model. The least efficient models are typically side by sides and French door models. Side by sides and French door models lack efficiency due to their built in ice maker and water through the door setup.

When its time to replace any outdated home appliance, look for the Energy Star label to help guide you in making a "green" choice. Upgrading your fridge, the single largest energy user in a home, can and will have an impact on your utility bills. By choosing one of the most efficient new fridges on the market, you could realize a savings of over $100 per year and with the average life of a fridge expected to be 15 years, that's a $1,500 savings over your old, inefficient model. This type of savings can more tan pay for the new fridge over time.

Now's the time to replace that fridge and reap the benefits in terms of money saved, an updated look in your kitchen, and a reliable new appliance in your home. This "green" home improvement project really does pay you back.