Home improvements: Tips for eco-friendly fridges

Your refrigerator accounts for around 10 per cent of your electricity. And it could be using 25 per cent more energy than necessary if it is being kept 10 degrees cooler than needs be.
Placing a fridge or freezer in direct sunlight or next to a heat source can increase energy consumption substantially. Keeping it full will increase energy efficiency because there's less air to cool with more space taken up.
Do not place uncovered foods in the fridge - these release moisture and force the compressor to work harder. And do not keep the door open for extended periods; the more hot air that gets inside, the harder your fridge will work to cool itself down.
If you are reinvesting in a new fridge, buy smart. The larger the refrigerator, the greater the energy consumption. And yet, one large refrigerator will use less energy than two smaller ones with the same total volume.
Some new refrigerators are so energy-efficient that they use less electricity than a light bulb. And fridges with freezers on top use 10 to 15 per cent less energy than side-by-side models - while ice makers and through-the-door dispensers will increase the ­energy use by 14 to 20 per cent.
Courtesy of the Eros Group (www.erosgroup.ae)