Every little bit of electricity that you can save around your home will result in savings on your electricity bill. So why not try to make your appliances operate more efficiently? Typically, refrigerators account for about 13.7% of a home’s electricity usage (second only to air conditioners). Refrigerators are one of few appliances that operate 24/7, so taking a few steps to make them more efficient is sure to save some money.
Ways to Make Your Refrigerator More Efficient
- Keep your refrigerator nice and full of food and drinks. Your fridge works harder to keep empty spaces cool. If you’re not someone who keeps a stocked fridge all the time, place some jugs of water on the shelves to fill the space.
- Don’t set your refrigerator for a temperature lower than necessary. Select the temperature that will keep your food cold, but don’t just turn it down all the way.
- Maintain the coils located at the rear of your refrigerator by keeping them free of dirt and grime. Any gunk that develops on these coils will act as heating insulation, causing your fridge to use more electricity to keep cool.
- Keep your refrigerator in a cool location—away from stoves, ovens, and microwaves.
- Make sure food has cooled off before you place it into the refrigerator. Placing hot food in the fridge will force the appliance to work harder to cool down that food.
- Inspect your refrigerator for faulty seals that let cold air escape.
- Don’t open your fridge more often or for longer than necessary. If you let the cold out, more electricity will be needed to reestablish the set temperature.
- Cover food items with plastic wrap or aluminum foil so that your refrigerator doesn’t have to work to cool uneven surfaces.
At Douthit Electrical, we love finding ways to conserve energy so that we can help the environment as well as help our customers save money. We hope these tips help you to save money on electricity in Charlotte. If you’d like to conserve more energy with an electrical upgrade or new appliance hookup, don’t hesitate to give our local electricians a call!
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