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In most homes, no appliance uses more electricity than the refrigerator. Therefore a simple habit to adopt is to not keep the refrigerator door open any longer than you need to – this can save you 7% on operating costs!
The next time you find yourself craving a mid-afternoon snack, make some time to think about what your stomach is asking for before you open the fridge door and stare mindlessly at its contents. The food inside isn’t going anywhere and I doubt that anything new will appear in the time it takes you to mentally fix a snack.
Every time you open the refrigerator door, the cold air that keeps your food fresh is running out the door and the warm air from the room is taking its place. This is a problem because now your refrigerator’s compressor is going to work hard to drive all that warm air out and bring the temperature back to normal, elevating not only your monthly electricity costs, but also your environmental footprint.
According to Home Energy Magazine, door openings account for 7% of your fridge energy use. So close the fridge door every time you’re not directly taking something out of it, instead of daydreaming with the door open. Remember it’s not a TV, even if you’re into super foods these days, your vegetables are not ready to entertain you with an improvised musical skit.
This week’s eco tip is courtesy of Selene Aparicio at thedailygreen.com
