5 Ways to Cut Refrigerator Energy Costs

If you are looking for ways to lower your electricity bill, you have probably tried things like turning your lights off every time you leave the room or unplugging your electronics when they aren't in use. What you may not have considered is looking at your refrigerator.

Your refrigerator is the only appliance in your house that runs 24/7 and can use a lot of electricity if you aren't careful. Use the following five tips to help reduce the amount of energy that your refrigerator uses.

Clean the condenser coils.

When was the last time (if ever) that you cleaned your refrigerator's condenser coils? These winding tubes are located on the back of your refrigerator and are responsible for cooling the refrigerant as it passes through. In order to effectively do this, they need to release heat, which is hard to do if they are coated in a layer of dust. Clean these twice a year using your vacuum with a brush attachment to lower your energy bills and extend your refrigerator's lifespan.

Keep your refrigerator full.

If you want to reduce how much energy your refrigerator uses, keep it well-stocked with food. The more food that you have in your refrigerator, the better it holds its temperature when you open the door, and in turn uses less energy to maintain a consistent temperature. Don't over-stuff it though, as it will hinder air circulation and lead to warm spots.

Minimize how many times you open the door.

Every time you open the refrigerator door, cold air escapes and the compressor must work harder to bring the internal temperature back down to your desired setting. When you are preparing a meal, grab everything you need from inside the refrigerator in one trip, and avoid opening the door for long periods of time while searching for something to eat.

Allow for proper ventilation.

Refrigerators don't actually work by producing cold, but rather by removing heat from the inside. This heat needs a place to go, and it gets released through vents, which is why the back of your refrigerator always feels warm. Give at least two inches of separation between the back of your refrigerator and the wall to provide adequate room for ventilation.

Inspect the gasket.

The gasket is the rubber seal located on the perimeter of your refrigerator door. If you couldn't guess, the gasket is responsible for keeping the cold air in, so if there is a leak you could see a spike in your energy bill. To see if your gasket is sealing tightly, shut your refrigerator door on a dollar bill. If you can easily remove the dollar or slide it up and down, you should replace your gasket immediately.

A broken or malfunctioning refrigerator can quickly rack up your electricity bill if you don't get it fixed. If your fridge is causing issues, call Speedy Subzero at 1-866-782-9376. For more than 75 years, we have provided in-home refrigerator repairs to residents of Long Island and New York City. Same-day appointments are available and our phone lines are open 24/7, so call us today!

4 Ways to Save Energy in the Kitchen

Whether the reasons are environmentally- or economically-based, people across the country are trying to reduce their energy consumption. One place that leaves a great amount of room for improvement is the kitchen. Every day, we go through our cooking routines much in the same way that we have been for our whole lives – usually without second-guessing our actions. These routines that we inherited from our parents or developed on our own are often not as environmentally-friendly as they could be. Here are four quick, easy, and free ways to reduce the amount of energy that you and your kitchen consume.

Be mindful of pots and pans on the stove top.

When cooking on the stove top, use a burner that is the same size of the pot or pan you will be using. Placing a 6” pan on a 8” burner may sound harmless, but the truth is that almost 50% of the heat generated by your stove top will be wasted. Keeping lids on these will further increase heat retention, and thus save energy. You can also turn the heat down when your water reaches a boil.

Turn off the oven early.

If you are cooking a meal in the oven for 25 minutes at 400°, you can turn the oven off after 20 and let the existing heat cook your food for the remainder of the period. This works even better if you refrain from opening the oven door to check on your food and instead look through the glass with the oven light on. This lesson can also be applied to boiling pasta on the stove top – just make sure you have a lid on the pot.

Only use the water you need.

When cooking food which requires you to boil water – such as potatoes, pasta, or eggs – use only as much water as you will need. Many of us put in much more water than is necessary just to “be safe”, but that hurts the energy-efficiency of your appliances. Simple physics will tell you that more time and energy is required to boil one gallon of water on your stove than one pint.

Bigger is not always better.

When trying to save energy, think small. This is especially true in the kitchen. When making a personal-sized meal, opt for the microwave or toaster oven over your conventional oven. Is the food processor really necessary, or will the blender suffice? These are the kinds of decisions you should be making in your daily life to cut down on energy consumption around the house.

Speedy SubZero is a refrigerator repair service located in New York. We specialize in Sub Zero refrigerator repairs in Huntington, Brookville, Dix Hills, Great Neck, Garden City, Port Washington, and surrounding areas. If your Sub Zero refrigerator is broken, trust our 60 years of experience to fix it. We have 24/7 emergency service, so call us now at 866-782-9376 or visit our Facebook page to learn more.