As a reminder, refrigeration is part of “always on” or idle load, one of the five ways to lower energy bills. We have a 3-part series on reducing electric idle load outside of refrigeration costs. Most of the time, we recommend installing timers or smart plugs to limit this waste of electricity for devices that are “always on” even though they aren’t in use.

For a refrigerator, you can’t use timers or smart plugs unless you want spoiled milk. In this article, we suggest some affordable ways that won’t incur big sacrifices to comfort or lifestyle.

Replace Old or Malfunctioning Refrigerator

Let’s first get the white elephant out of the room. For your main refrigerator, a new fridge that is much more efficient might be worth it if you have a really old refrigerator or one that is malfunctioning. In this case, replacing the fridge will probably pay for itself within a few years just from energy savings alone.

This Energy Star website can help you determine if you have a bad fridge that needs replacing.

Your refrigerator is one of your big electric idling loads. If it is more than 15 years old, you may think about upgrading to a newer Energy Star model. Btw, Energy Star is just a compliance program that makes sure a device is up to par with energy efficiency standards in America.

Tip: Check with your utility company for a refrigerator recycling program. They will not only pick up your old refrigerator but sometimes will pay you a little if it’s still working.

Unplug Your Old, Minimally Used Fridge

Take a look at your refrigerator usage and decide if you really need the extra cooler. Not only does it use extra electricity, but it also generates extra heat, which you may be unnecessarily cooling in the summer.

Mini-refrigerators or “coolers” are especially good candidates to unplug if you don’t really need it.

These extra cooling storage devices include freezers and coolers in indoor and outdoor places. Outdoor cooling devices hit a double whammy in hot summer days. Garages get quite hot, and if your fridge is not efficient and leaks just a little bit, you are essentially using a bad air conditioning system that runs nonstop to cool down part of your garage. In fact, if it’s a refrigerator in your garage or on your patio, consider only having them plugged when you are really going to use them, especially if there’s barely anything in them.

Move Fridge or Freezer Indoor

If you have a second fridge outdoor (including a garage) and it’s full of stuff you need, consider moving it to an indoor place. This is especially helpful if you have hot summer days that turn your garage into an oven. Some people retire their old refrigerator to the garage as an “extra” without considering how hot the garage is in the summer for this cooling device to work against and insulate from.

Other Refrigeration Tips

Even if you have an efficient refrigerator, you can save money by making sure it’s not working harder than it needs to. While the most efficient fridges use 350 kWh of electricity annually, some are off the charts. The difference may be due to size and configuration, or it may be due to its operation. We suggest you check a few things from the list below. Thanks to RealSimple.com for these succinct suggestions:

• Keep the door closed. Be reasonable about how long a fridge needs to open while you make choices.
• Check the door seals. Loose seals lose you money. Clean regularly and test if a piece of paper can easily be pulled out of a closed door. If so, you may need you fridge inspected.
• Clean the coils – dust makes the fridge work harder. Clean coils behind and at the bottom of your fridge
• Keep it cool, enough – The fridge only needs to be between 30-40 degrees Fahrenheit and the freezer at 0 degrees.
• Fill ‘er up – a full fridge will maintain a cool temp better than an empty fridge full of air that quickly escapes when the door is open.
• To avoid uneven temperatures in the fridge (some places barely cool, some places too cold), allow the cold air to circulate throughout by leaving an inch or two air space by the inside walls (especially the back wall) of the fridge. Note: that’s why the edge of the shelves don’t go all the way to the walls.
• No power? No problem – an unopened fridge can keep food safe for 4 hours and a full freezer maintains temp for 48 hours and 1/2 full freezer for 24 hours.

Also, here is a good video taking you through many great tips on how to maintain your refrigerator and things to look out for if you’re having trouble.