Federal efficiency standards took effect in 1993, requiring new refrigerators to be more efficient than ever before. The energy efficiency of refrigerators has improved dramatically over the past two decades, partially as a result of these new standards. The efficiency of a refrigerator is based on the energy consumed per year. The DOE standards set a maximum allowable annual energy consumption for different sizes and classes of refrigerators.
The energy bill for a typical new refrigerator with automatic defrost and top-mounted freezer will be about $55/year, whereas a typical model sold in 1973 will cost nearly $160/year. Most of the energy used by a refrigerator is used to pump heat out of the cabinet. A small amount is used to keep the cabinet from sweating, to defrost the refrigerator, and to illuminate the interior.
Although many energy-efficient products may be more expensive to purchase, they will cost less to operate over the lifetime of the appliance. For example, a more expensive model could pay for itself in a little over three years. Over the 15-year lifetime, the more expensive refrigerator might save $750!
Federal law requires that EnergyGuide labels be placed on all new refrigerators. These labels are yellow with black lettering. When you're shopping for the best buy in a new appliance, using EnergyGuide labels can save you money.
The EnergyGuide label on new refrigerators will tell you how much electricity in kilowatt-hours (kWh) a particular model uses in one year. The smaller the number, the less energy the refrigerator uses and the less it will cost you to operate.
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