Simple Way To Save 100 Pounds Per Year

haddocksupper

OK so how many people have a fridge / freezer but it's not full?

Maybe quite a few of you.

Did you know that when your fridge is empty / half full your fridge uses more and more power to keep it cool.

This can waste up to 100 quid per year (yes really that much!!)

A cheap and efficient way to ensure that your fridge (and your freezer if that isn't full either) runs as economicaly as possible is to get a few empty plastic milk bottles and fill them with water and stick them in the parts of the fridge / freezer that are not being used.

On average the saving based on a standard free standing fridge freezer will be about 100 quid per year (even more if you have a big flash fridge and nothing in it).

Every little helps.

:beer:

jhp

Lots of Energy Saving advice here.

http://www.energysavingadvice.co.uk

Magentasue

We have a large upright freezer which I try to keep organised. Apart from stock items (couple of pizzas, couple of ready meals, couple bags peas, bag sprouts, bag green beans, bag corn cobs, Linda M sausages, bag chips), I use it to store rolls for packed lunches, reduced supermarket bargains, fruit and veg from garden etc.

Through the winter as the fruit and veg gets used up, Christmas stuff is going in. Between Christmas and 'harvest time' I fill the gaps with bread (often supermarket reduced sliced - good enough for toast).

A friend has a freezer full of ready meals for 'just in case' which I just don't get. I like to have the makings of a couple of meals in there but I can't see the point of running a freezer to store food that is already frozen in supermarkets.

My large fridge often looks a bit empty a day or two before shopping - think I may buy some 20p bottles of fizzy water and do as haddock suggests - would rather fill up with something cheap that will get used rather than empty bottles.

Fred_Bear_2

haddocksupper wrote: »

Did you know that when your fridge is empty / half full your fridge uses more and more power to keep it cool.

This can waste up to 100 quid per year (yes really that much!!)

Do you have any evidence to support your claim?

carrottopsuk

haddocksupper wrote: »

OK so how many people have a fridge / freezer but it's not full?

Maybe quite a few of you.

Did you know that when your fridge is empty / half full your fridge uses more and more power to keep it cool.

This can waste up to 100 quid per year (yes really that much!!)

A cheap and efficient way to ensure that your fridge (and your freezer if that isn't full either) runs as economicaly as possible is to get a few empty plastic milk bottles and fill them with water and stick them in the parts of the fridge / freezer that are not being used.

On average the saving based on a standard free standing fridge freezer will be about 100 quid per year (even more if you have a big flash fridge and nothing in it).

Every little helps.

:beer:

Is this true? I thought you had to fill up your freezer but leave space in your fridge? I'm sure I read it on another board.

flobbalob

Good Idea

perhaps it may be more efficient to use polystyrene instead.

Cardew

haddocksupper wrote: »

OK so how many people have a fridge / freezer but it's not full?

Maybe quite a few of you.

Did you know that when your fridge is empty / half full your fridge uses more and more power to keep it cool.

This can waste up to 100 quid per year (yes really that much!!)

A cheap and efficient way to ensure that your fridge (and your freezer if that isn't full either) runs as economicaly as possible is to get a few empty plastic milk bottles and fill them with water and stick them in the parts of the fridge / freezer that are not being used.

On average the saving based on a standard free standing fridge freezer will be about 100 quid per year (even more if you have a big flash fridge and nothing in it).

Every little helps.

:beer:

Where on earth do you get those figures from?

According to manufacturers figures on 190 fridge freezers on sale in UK the total running cost per year is between £30 and £60.

Please produce any authorative evidence that supports your figures; - or gives any figures

Whilst it is widely stated that a full freezer is marginally cheaper to run, there are other organisations that believe it is a myth:

<H3>Myth-busting: are full freezers more efficient?

It's sometimes said that a full freezer uses less energy - not true. Research suggest that power consumption hardly varies at all with loading, and simple theory suggests there would be no difference whatever between a full freezer and an identical empty one if the doors were kept closed, and 98-99% of the average freezer's consumption is due to operating in that state.
The problem with a full freezer is that you can't find what you are looking for, so you spend longer with the door open, and that slightly increases energy use. Keeping the freezer full may also obstruct airflow, interfering with thermostat operation and allowing the refigeration compressor to run on when it should cut out. Much more important in causing high running costs are the following:

• Having damaged door seals
• Allowing the condenser coil on the back to get dirty
• Obstructing air flow over the condenser coil
• Not cooling produce before putting it in
• Allowing ice to build up inside
• Siting the freezer in a warm place
• Freezing stuff that then gets out of date
• Opening the door too frequently
• Keeping the door open too long

The conclusion: store as much or as little as you need, but don't overfill the freezer compartment.

</H3>
I suspect that savings, if any, will be measured in pence.

barrymung

I suspect it's true, for an upright freezer. Wouldn't have thought the cost saving would be anywhere near £100 though, probably nearer £10.

If you open the door of an upright freezer that's nearly empty, all the cold air will pour out to floor level, and warm air will rush in.

The freezer will then have to work harder to cool the warm air.

However, fill it with bottles of water (or whatever) and you won't get as much warm air rushing in when you open the door, as there's less space for it. Therefore less energy will be used cooling the freezer.

Hope this explaination makes sense..

Andy_Hamilton

My 10 years+ old freezer costs around £100 to run.
Newer efficent ones would cost around £300 to save around £50 per year. ^ year pay back is just too much so I'll wait until it goes bang!

If you want to save absolutly loads then make a chest fridge out of a chest freezer. It freeked out too many people when explained that it would cost around £20 per year to run. They have more insulation (efficient ones) and when you open the door the cold air does not roll out the door like an upright fridge.

mech_2

Andy_Hamilton wrote: »

If you want to save absolutly loads then make a chest fridge out of a chest freezer. It freeked out too many people when explained that it would cost around £20 per year to run. They have more insulation (efficient ones) and when you open the door the cold air does not roll out the door like an upright fridge.

I like the idea from a technical standpoint, but in practice how many people can sacrifice the space a chest fridge would take? I don't have room for a chest freezer let alone a chest fridge as well.