Camille LeFevre
- Home
ENERGY STAR Refrigerator Ratings and Wattage
If you're looking for the most energy-efficient refrigerator options to meet your needs, you are in luck. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Program, which helps businesses and consumers save money by certifying more energy-efficient products, has a refrigerator program.
When thinking about how many watts of electricity it uses, it is essential to remember that refrigerators don't use power consistently throughout the day. The fridge's compressor cycles on and off throughout the day; when it is on, it uses more energy. You can hear it too when your refrigerator kicks in and starts making noise.
How to Calculate the Payback of a New Refrigerator?
Because refrigerators run all the time and are some of the more significant energy users in a home, the payback from buying an ENERGY STAR refrigerator can be pretty fast. The ENERGY STAR program has a calculator that can help you figure out payback time. All you need is how much you currently pay for electricity in terms of cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). You can look at your electricity bill, or the calculator has an average price for each U.S. state. You'll also need to know the approximate size and the approximate age of your refrigerator.
For example, say you own a 1980s-era side-by-side 22-cubic feet refrigerator. If you live in California, your average cost per kilowatt-hour is 16.49 cents. By replacing your fridge, you will save $1,559 and 3,259 pounds of carbon pollution over five years. That’s a savings of $312 every year on your electricity bill. A new ENERGY STAR certified 22.1 cubic feet side-by-side Frigidaire costs $1,282 (prices will vary). If you divide $1,282 (your upfront cost) by $312 (your annual savings), you get 4.1, which equals the years' payback. So in your fourth year of owning your fridge, you will have already paid for your new refrigerator through energy savings!
Final Refrigerator Tips
- If you do decide to get a new refrigerator, here are a few final tips.
- Check out the availability of rebates in your area. Some utilities offer them to support energy efficiency.
- Consider getting rid of your old refrigerator. Many utilities offer a refrigerator takeback program, where they haul away your old one for free. This is particularly useful to help refrigerators are disposed of appropriately. Proper disposal is important because the chemicals used as refrigerants are potent greenhouse gasses that need to be correctly managed.
- Finally, enjoy your new refrigerator. An ENERGY STAR refrigerator is a beautiful, valuable addition to any sustainable home.
In terms of costs, a new refrigerator does cost money. However, an ENERGY STAR refrigerator will not require any additional dollars compared to a non-ENERGY STAR refrigerator, given that refrigerators are significant energy users and the quick payback of a more efficient refrigerator, an ENERGY STAR refrigerator is an excellent choice for every home.
Article By
Kate Knuth
Dr. Kate Knuth is founder, strategist, and writer at Democracy and Climate LLC; and a fellow at the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment. Kate was the first chief resilience officer for the City of Minneapolis and founding director of the Boreas Leadership Program. She served six years in the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she championed clean energy, climate, and toxic chemical policy reform policy. Kate also served six years on the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board. She earned a PhD from the University of Minnesota, a MSc from Oxford University, and a BA from the University of Chicago. She was a Fulbright Fellow in Norway.
