Refrigerators and Freezers

Did you know that your household fridge could be one of the most costly appliances to run?

Alice Solar City has incentives to put a freeze on your fridge costs. Swap it for a more energy efficient model (up to $400), surrender it ($100 voucher and free disposal) or if it is a second fridge switch it off when not in use. See below for more information on these incentives.

Judging is now completed in the "Facebook your fridge" competition.

Alice Springs residents have sent in their photos to our 'Facebook your Fridge' competition and told us why they would or wouldn't  swap, surrender or switch off their old fridge.

You have had your say and helped the judges make their choices as to  who should win a summer supply of ice-cream from Rocky’s Pizza (worth $400), a 65 litre Premium Esky donated by Home Timber and Hardware (RRP $280), or an 85 litre Evakool Fishing Team icebox thanks to Barbeques Galore (RRP $529).

The judges have made their final decision and the winners are :

1st Prize : Steve with his entry "Fred the Fridge Fanatic".

Steve said in his entry
"This photo caught Fred 'The Fridge Fanatic' at work assessing
and collating data on our very own fridge to ascertain it's
environmental effectiveness. Fred's rating: Nine out of ten.

2nd Prize goes to Chris with "Marcic's Icebox"

Chris said of the Icebox
"My 'fridge is so old, so ancient
It doesn't even have energy stars.
It should be sold off, dismembered and scrapped
Or possibly dumped on Mars!"

3rd Prize goes to Nicky who in her entry "first new fridge, now old" told us

"This is the first non-secondhand fridge I've ever owned.
Despite my sentimentality after 12 years, it does create a
lot of heat - so it must be time to swap."
 

Congratulations to all three and thank you to our other entrants.

 You can still see the entries on our facebook page.  

How old is your fridge?

Is your existing fridge as old as the hills?  Is your freezer busy growing its own glacier?  Or have you got a 'refrigerasaur' out the back which is used just to keep your drinks cold?  The fridge is the mainstay of our homes and is generally considerd an essential appliance. Refrigeration can however account for a surprisingly large slice of your electricity bill.  You might be surprised at how many households in Alice Springs have three or more fridges and freezers in their home and what it is costing them to keep these applicances  running. 

Alice Solar City can help you reduce these costs with advice and new Incentives to replace or surrender your old fridge or freezer.

• Incentives 
• How much does your fridge cost to run?
• How to reduce your fridge running costs
• Reconsider the way you use your second or third fridge
• New star rating system.

Incentives

Replace your old refrigerator or freezer

Replacing your old inefficient refrigerator with a new energy efficient model can reduce your electricity usage by as much as 700kWh a year, a saving of around $150. Alice Solar City offers a 35% discount, up to $400 towards the cost of buying a new '3 star' energy rated refrigerator (or higher) of minimum 200  litres capacity. The refrigerator being replaced must be a minimum of 200 litres capacity and manufactured in or prior to 2003 and must be disposed of according to ASC guidelines.

Replacing an old inefficient freezer with a new energy efficient model can result in big savings for you. Some older freezers can cost as much as $250 a year to run, while many new models cost less than $100 a year. Alice Solar City offers a 35% discount, up to $400 off the cost of buying a new '2.5 star' energy rated freezer (minimum 140 litres). The freezer being replaced must be a minimum of 140 litres and manufactured in or prior to 2003, and disposed of according to ASC guidelines.

Surrender your old fridge or freezer

If you really don't need your old refrigerator or freezer, disposing of it could save you as much as $200 a year off your power bill. Alice Solar City (ASC) is prepared to take your old energy guzzler away and dispose of it free of charge.   If you surrender the old relic ASC will give you a $100 gift voucher, which you could use to buy an esky to use at a party to celebrate your energy savings.

  Alice Solar City also offers an incentive for the replacement of perished fridge seals (up to $100).
 

How much does your fridge cost to run

The most relevant indicator of the running costs of your fridge or freezer is the kilowatt hour (kWh) value, which can be found on the energy rating label of newer models. The kWh figure displayed is an indicator of how much electricity it will use over one full year of use under normal operating conditions (from our experience, fridges and freezers in Alice use 10-25% more than stated on the energy rating label). The more kilowatt hours, the more it will cost to run. For each kWh of electricity you use in Alice Springs, it costs you 19.77 cents (as of 1 July 2011).  A fridge that uses 500 kWh in a year will cost you approximately $100 to run for the full year, or about $25 per quarter.

Alice Solar City recently came across a 20 year old fridge which was used to keep drinks cold.  It was kept outside on the south side of the house and was well shaded and ventilated which helped to minimise running costs.  Alice Solar City attached a power meter to the fridge for a fortnight and calculated that the fridge draws 1060 kWh per annum. Based on the 2010/2011 standard flat tariff, this is an annual cost of $204.

How to reduce your fridge running costs

• Keep it closed - Each time you open the door, warm air gets in and increases thework the fridge needs to do.
• Don’t set the temperature too low - A change of one degree can effect energyconsumption by 5%. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. Freezers shouldoperate at -15°C to -18°C while fresh food compartments should be held at around 3°C to 4°C.
• Give it room to breath - Allow enough space for air to flow over the condenser coil at the back of, or under the fridge (follow your fridge manufacturer’s recommendations). Restricting ventilation could add 15% or more to the energy bill.
• Lose the fluff - Clean the condenser coil and fan blades (if there are any) on a regular basis to preventdust/dirt build up, allowing greater efficiency of heat exchange. If you are not sure how to do this contact the manufacturer or your local refrigeration professional.
• Keep it sealed - If your fridge’s door seals are not in good condition it will need to work harder, will increase ice build up and will cost you more to run.                                                                  
• Pick your spot - Placing a fridge or freezer in direct sunlight or next to an oven or other heat source can increase energy consumption substantially.
• Ice buildup in your fridge makes it harder for your fridge or freezer to operate effectively - defrost your unit when the ice is more than 5 mm thick.
• Turn it off - when away for a longerperiod, turn off, empty and cleanthe refrigerator and leave the door ajar.
• If you’re going to throw out your old fridge, ensure that is professionally de-gassed as part of the disposal

Reconsider the way you use your second or third fridge  

Instead of having a second or third fridge or freezer adding to your energy bills, consider the following:

• Do you really need lots of cold drinks on hand?
• Is there room in your main fridge for your daily needs? A fridge will maintain its temperature better when it is full and be more economical to run.
• Would an esky be suitable for your cold drinks on those occasions when needed?
• Can you turn the second fridge off for most of the time and only plug it in when it is needed?

 Download the Alice Solar City Refrigerators & Freezers fact sheet here.