Fridge freezer energy ratings

Coffeekup

I know the rules or regulation's have recently changed on energy ratings. I realize this is not exactly not an energy rated topic (as of yet) but...

1- Does or has anyone ever consider energy ratings when buying one in the past? 
2- Does design of it matter?
3- Does frost free matter?
4- Do just buy one that'll fit in the space?
5- How long would you expect a fridge freezer upto £200 last?
6- How long would you expect a fridge freezer upto £350 last?
7- How long would you expect a fridge freezer upto £500 last?
8- How long would you expect a fridge freezer upto £800 last?
9- How long would you expect a fridge freezer upto £1300 last?
10- How long would you expect a fridge freezer £1300-£2,300last?
11- Anyone in the last 10-15 years had a fridge freezer that's lasted 8 years+? If so what make is it? 

Some of you may have integrated fridge and freezer's, but play along with the above please.
I'll go first..
1-kind of, 2-yes, 3-yes, 4-no, 5-4+year's, 6-5+ year's, 7-5+year's,
8-7+years, 9-10+ year's, 10-15 Year's,
11-N/A for me

QrizB

1- yes, the energy cost of a FF over its life will usually exceed the purchase price.

2 - physical design yes, cosmetic design no, 3 - yes, I avoid frost-free, 4 - kind of.

5 to 10 - all white goods should last 10+ years.

11 - kind of, bought a second-hand Italian-made FF for £40 in 1996 and it eventually died in 2018. Replaced then with new, separate, fridge and freezer for £110 and £114 respectively, both still going strong.

Alnat1

1 No
2 Yes
3 Yes
4 No
5-10 10 years?

11 Have a 14 year old LG American fridge/freezer (energy consumption listed as 543kWh) in the garage which we used in the kitchen at our previous property. This house has a built in fridge/freezer in the kitchen so the American FF is used for overflow food and drink (and to hibernate tortoises over winter) 

£9.99 Tapo P110 (thanks for the tip somebody, can't find link now of who) smart plug with energy monitor arrived Friday and I used it on AFF for 24 hours. It's using around 876kWh a year!

I have already ordered a new FF and went for the most energy efficient I could find for a not too crazy price, £549 Liebherr CND5704 that has a new D rating for energy efficiency and is advertised as using 210kWh a year. Hopefully a saving of around 666kWh a year.

aaiiee

I consider energy ratings on any appliances I buy.

I have an approx. 12/13 year old fridge-freezer which is working fine. Using an energy monitor, I can tell it uses just over 1 kWh per day.

Coffeekup

QrizB said:

5 to 10 - all white goods should last 10+ years.

Alnat1 said:

5-10 10 years?

10 years??? Clearly I've been unlucky with my last 2 (brand new) purchases then. The one before I have now lasted 5 years and cost £400, and the one i have now has just turned 5 years old and the compressor makes such a noise when it kick in it's not going to last, it's also using more electric.

elsien

I have separate under counter fridge and freezer. Both have just hit the 20 year mark; am considering replacing before a) they die at just the wrong time and b) in need to check the figures but suspect that they are now a larger proportion  part of my background usage. 

Not at home at the moment so can’t remember the make, but possibly Indesit for the fridge. 

otherwise 
1. Yes
2.No as long as it fits.
3. No
4. yes, all else being equal.

pochase

Coffeekup said:

QrizB said:

5 to 10 - all white goods should last 10+ years.

Alnat1 said:

5-10 10 years?

10 years??? Clearly I've been unlucky with my last 2 (brand new) purchases then.

You are not alone. In the last 11 years I am now on my third American style FF.

First one was an expensive Samsung for £1200 that survived 5 years, next a cheaper one for £ 500 lasted 3.5 years.

In comparison an old Whirlpool freezer we bought 13 years ago used is still running without any issues.

Your price sections don't really cater for different sizes/qualities. You can but a small high priced FF for £500, or a cheap American style FF.

Coffeekup

pochase said:

Your price sections don't really cater for different sizes/qualities. You can but a small high priced FF for £500, or a cheap American style FF.

I know... I'm aware of this, but after yours and my experience with FF's are we just unlucky or are they all just generally not that great and a few good ones get through?
However American FF tend to start in the £750 bracket, and size differences appear irrelevant, there are some bigger models in the £500 bracket and £250 bracket. As is there are some smaller ones in both bracket's.

facade

1) I never used to in The Olden Days, but I could afford electricity then...

2) do you mean aesthetics or operation principles? Try & get one with separate thermostats for fridge & freezer. Also if you keep it in the garage you must get one that operates in low ambient temperatures.

3) what does "matter" mean?  Avoid frost free. They use a heater to melt any frost and evaporate the water.

My new one is "frost free" how I laughed when my icecream all melted and I had to dismantle it to melt the ice myself because I'd left the door open a gnat's and the evaporator froze up, but the heater cycle was days away on the timer

4) yes, but get the biggest you can. I downsized slightly when my old Zanussi finally failed, and it is annoying how little I can get in the vegetable rotter and the freezer in the new one.

5-10) absolute minimum of 10 years.

11) my old Zanussi was 17 I think when it stopped working. It might have been repairable, but at 17 I thought I'd just get a new one.

Coffeekup

Ok so I have been looking at at getting a new fridge freezer for weeks, the numbers never seem to stack up.
Yes a few of you say absolute minimum of 10 year's, but in my experience it isn't so, it's also the same experience for @pochase .

If you forget the fancy American style fridge's for the moment, and put FF sizes and widths to one side for as 30-40cm in height and 10cm in width isn't that much difference (yeah more cubic meters inside for a few more lettuce's). Do they really save you money over the lifetime of the appliance? If the price per unit stays the same as it is capped at today 28p?

Alnat1

They have to quote the energy rating amongst all the advertising blurb and hopefully kWh/year. The old A+++ way disappeared in 2021 and a new system rates appliances as A-G.

Most standard fridge freezers are now rated F so if you can find anything higher it's likely to have much lower kWh/year. It might be worth paying £200 more if it will save that much a year in electricity