The refrigerator is the single biggest power consumer in most homes. Refrigerators made before 1990 use twice as much energy as the more energy efficient refrigerators made today. An average new refrigerator with top-mounted freezer sold today uses under 700 kilowatt-hours per year, while the average model sold in 1973 used nearly 2,000 kilowatt-hours per year. These are national average figures. Today the most efficient models are under 400 kilowatt-hours per year; and still falling.

To make an energy efficient refrigerator, manufacturers use:
• Better insulation.
• More efficient compressors.
• Improved heat transfer surfaces.
• More precise temperature and defrost mechanisms.

Your refrigerator's compressor generates heat. Efficient refrigerators use improved insulation so the compressor runs less often which keeps your kitchen cooler; reducing the need for cooling.

Real Goods, a leading supplier of environmental products gives an honest and revealing opinion in an article concerning energy efficient appliances:

"For many years Sun Frost has had the enviable position of being the maker of "world's most efficient refrigerators," and with that has come a steady flow of renewable energy customers willing to pay the high initial cost in exchange for the savings in operating cost. Real Goods has been an unabashed supporter of this product for many years. But times are changing. The major appliance manufacturers have managed to implement huge energy savings in their mass-produced designs over the past few years. While none of the mass-produced units yet challenge Sun Frost for king-of-the-hill, some are close enough, and less expensive enough, to deserve consideration. The difference between a $900 purchase and a $2,700 purchase will buy quite a lot of photovoltaic wattage. A number of mass-produced fridges have power consumption in the 1.0 to 1.5 kilowatt hours per day range, and can be supported on renewable energy systems. Any reasonable sized fridge with power use under 1.5 kilowatt hours per day is welcome in a renewable energy system; that's about $50 per year on the yellow EPA energy tag."
Read the entire article by clicking on this arrow. Thank you, Real Goods!

Purchasing tips Energy Star offers these excellent purchasing tips:

• Top freezer models are more efficient, using about 12% less energy than side-by-side models.
• Manual defrost models use half the energy of automatic defrost models but must be defrosted periodically to remain energy efficient.
• Automatic ice-makers and through-the-door dispensers will increase energy use by 14 to 20% and increase the purchase price by about $75 to $250.
• Models with an anti-sweat heater will consume 5 to 10% more energy. Look for a model that has an "energy saver" switch that allows you to turn off or turn down the heating coils (which prevent condensation).
• The most energy-efficient models are in the 16-20 cubic foot sizes. Generally, the larger the refrigerator, the greater the energy consumption. A model that is too large will waste space and energy; too small could mean extra trips to the supermarket.
• It is usually less costly to run one larger refrigerator than two smaller ones.