Today's refrigerators are very energy efficient. Ones sold today use about one-tenth the amount of electricity of ones that were built 20 years ago. So, if you have an old, old refrigerator, it's better to buy a new one because you'll save money (and energy) over a long period of time.

Twenty years ago about 50% or more of your homes electrical energy was consumed by your refrigerator.  That is because it ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

A typical 18 cubic frost free refrigerator would use about 4,000 KWH of electricity a year to operate.  Todays’ refrigerators can use as little as 400 KWH per year by comparison.  When purchasing a new refrigerator I suggest looking at the yellow energy label on the front, to insure it is an E STAR energy efficient model.

So when your old refrigerator finally quits on you, don’t see the expense of a new purchase, as all bad.  The new models will pay you back, because of how significant their energy usage has declined.   With some utilities charging a KWH (Kilowatt hour rate) of 16 cents, it is easy to see how much money can be saved.  Witness this chart:

4000 KWH x 16 cents equals $640.00 cost to run, per year.

400 KWH X 16 cents equals $64.00 cost to run, per year.