Refrigerators are responsible for approximately 14 percent of a home’s energy use, more than any other kitchen or cleaning appliance. The average refrigerator in 2002 consumed 1,281 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year in electricity.

Choose an ENERGY STAR refrigerator

A new ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator uses about 40 percent less energy than refrigerators sold in 2001.

Set your refrigerator temperature to 37-40 degrees

Don’t keep your fridge too frigid. To prevent wasting energy and your food from spoiling, it is important to set your refrigerator’s temperature properly. If your refrigerator is set below 37 degrees, it will use more electricity than necessary. In fact, a refrigerator set 10 degrees colder, will use 25 percent more energy.

Clean a refrigerator’s coils

Dust off the coils on the back of your fridge every six months. Dirty coils cause the refrigerator to use more energy to keep food cold.

Keep a full refrigerator

A full fridge retains cold better after the door has been opened so your appliance doesn’t have to work as hard to keep the food cold.

This “Go Green Did You Know” tip was brought to you by: Purple Duck University, the educational division of Purple Duck Marketing.

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