How much energy do fridges consume?
Refrigeration products account for around 20% of the electricity consumed by domestic appliances, so it’s hardly surprising the government is continually urging manufacturers and consumers to produce and buy higher rated energy efficient appliances. EU energy labelling of cold appliances has been in place for more than a decade with ratings ranging from the ultra-efficient A++ to the positively power-hungry G classifications. Fridge energy ratings are not simply a calculation of the amount of electricity consumed by the appliance over a period of time; they take into account other factors including the capacity, style and features of each fridge, which combine to produce a single rating that can be easily interpreted by consumers. Capacity is an important factor; if you currently run two worktop-height fridges it would usually be more efficient to consolidate your groceries into one tall fridge, but it’s only worth trading up to a tall fridge if you’re likely to keep it at least two-th
