Fridges and freezers are two of the greatest household consumers of energy. Along with high energy consumption, most fridges and freezers also use HFC gases, which, due to the carbon dioxide that they produce, are known to have a significant effect on the climate. With the increasingly urgent call of environmentalists for humanity to reduce its carbon footprint, manufacturers of these appliances have produced a range of no frost fridges and eco-friendly freezers, which do just that.
Isobutane is a refrigerant said to have no negative impact on global warming, or on the environment as a whole. Responding to the Green initiative implemented by government, most leading manufacturers of fridges and freezers have phased out the old HFC gasses in favour of Isobutane as a cooling agent.
British law now requires that all relevant appliances carry the European Energy Label, which states the energy efficiency of the product. As well as being far more considerate of the environment, fridges and freezers that use less energy are also more cost efficient; for consumers this is a definite win-win situation. Checking the grading of a fridge or freezer before purchasing and doing a little research into which style of refrigeration appliance uses the least amount of energy can eventually result in the appliance paying for itself.
Chest type freezers lose less cold air when opened than the upright models. Upright fridge / freezers with the freezer section on top also use less power than those with the freezer unit on the bottom. Generally, today’s Green refrigeration appliances are far better insulated than those from previous years, which means that less cold air is able to escape and the inside temperature is kept more constant; resulting in less energy usage.
Some modern refrigeration units are also fitted with alarm systems that will sound should the inside temperature drop below the level that is safe for food storage. Another option is the gas refrigerator that has a back-up electrical ability and a well ventilated room is all that is necessary for this option. Propane gas is extremely environmentally friendly and, should fuel run out, it can simply be plugged into an electrical outlet. Consumers, however, must exercise good sense when choosing a refrigeration appliance.
Large capacity fridge / freezers use more energy; overloading makes it much harder for the appliance to function efficiently. Consumers must, therefore, determine the size of fridge / freezer that will suit their needs best. Besides reading the generic energy rating labels that must now be displayed, consumers also have numerous online services available that will determine the projected wattage necessary for the running of these appliances. Doing so will reduce the cost to consumers and, more importantly, the cost to our planet.
