Energy Efficiency of newer refrigerators

[muncybob]

We just took delivery of a new Whirlpool...the kind with a bottom freezer. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the sticker on it showing the annual costs to run it when we were in the store. Wife gave it to me after the delivery guys left and pointed out it shows only $43/yr. at the suggested setting. That's cheap enough for me but we realized after a couple of days that the suggested setting was even too cold for us so we dropped it down 1 setting. So I guess we are less than $40/yr!
Just amazing to me that for less than $4/month we are meeting our cold/frozen food storage needs. I wish internet connectivity was this reasonable!

 

[Highbeam]

You might be surprised to find that the old inefficient models cost nearly the same to operate. A kill-a-watt meter is very useful in telling you what these 110 volt appliances actually use. All said, if you are replacing an old one then get a nice energy efficient one but if your old one is working fine then you aren't saving anything siginificant by buying new despite what the gov't is telling you. I'm hoping my 70-80s era almond fridge would just die so that I could replace it with a new one for color alone.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

My fridge came from Monkey Wards.

Matt

 

[DBoon]

You'll save energy by buying a new fridge if your old one is 15 years old or more, but you probably won't save a lot of money. Payback period is likely to be 10+ years.

Before I replaced my 15+ year old fridge, I measured the electric consumption over a week with a Kill-a-watt meter, and it was about 1800 Watts/day. A new one uses about 800 watts a day. That's about a $50 per year savings. So I'm not saving a ton of money compared to what I spent, but it keeps the kitchen cooler in the summer (no AC) and is a little larger.

For the record, both fridges were comparably equipped, simple top freezer models. Nothing fancy.

 

[Highbeam]

Well your fridge doesn't use watts per day, it uses watt hours per day so your readings must have been 1.8 kilowatt hours each day? If so that is 18 cents in my part of the country. 365 of those days is only 66$ per year. If the new one uses 0.8kilowatt hours per day then that's only 29$ per year. A savings of 37$ per year for 10 cent power, maybe NY has super high power cost? A 1000$ fridge will take 27 years to pay for itself at that rate.

I doubt that the new fridge uses 0.8/1.8 = .44 or 44% of the old fridge's consumption but even if it did the payback is ridiculously long.

 

[vvvv]

gotta keep the inner guts clean [compressor/radiator] from dust,pet hair, etc. to maintain the efficiency. KILL A WATT is great but use it year round = hi humidity affects the performance especially in the summer when the defroster/heater will have to heat the interior of the freezer more so to defrost.

 

[midwestcoast]

NY actually does have some of the highest elect rates in the country. Average is over 18 cents/kWh according to Energy Star website. There is a calculator @ (broken link removed to http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator) to estimate savings for a fridge replacement. Using ~ 20ft³ top freezer model at 18.19 cents (NY avg) it comes up with $160 savings/yr for replacing a pre-1993(1285 kWhr/yr) model; or $82/yr for a 1993-2000 model with a new Energy Star unit. You can also input your model # to get a more precise estimate.

I think the main improvement has been the use of foam insulation as opposed to fibreglass, but could be wrong.

 

[TMonter]

Where I live power is around $0.07/kWh

 

[muncybob]

Our rate is currently .10/kWh
We were needing a new fridge...seemed to become increasingly noisy and somehow there must have been humidity getting into the doors as they were rusting from the inside out(replaced the seals when I first noticed the rust). It was 18+ years old so I guess we got our $$'s worth. It will make a good beer dispenser now!
Somebody I work with said her bill dropped about $10/month when she replaced her fridge. Saving just $5/mo. along with liking the freezer on the bottom are 2 good enough reasons for us to make the purchase.

 

[Highbeam]

I see pook is back.

Humidity makes no difference. Auto defrost is on a timer eh.

 

[benjamin]

No doubt about it, refrigerators are a marvel of modern efficiency. Some of the small ones will run on less than some stereos draw as parasitic load. Not all old fridges are energy hogs. There are plenty of models from the 70's that are still competetive with the new ones as far as KWHs, if not looks and convenience.

Humidity does make a huge difference, timed defrost or not, think of it as blowing steam in everytime you open the door.

 

[DBoon]

so your readings must have been 1.8 kilowatt hours each day?

Aarrghh...yes - watt-hours per day. Thanks.

 

[velvetfoot]

They make noise a lot of the time, but it's low power stuff like fans.
I have an energy detective thing in the kitchen and I can see it.