Are you on the hunt for an energy efficient fridge freezer that will help to limit your energy bill and help you save money?

Here we review some of the best fridge freezer models currently available in the UK and also highlight what to avoid.

Fridge freezers are one of the few appliances on 24/7 – 365 days a year and so it’s extra important to consider it’s energy efficiency (among other factors too).

Let’s begin…

Energy Efficient Fridge Freezers Quick takeaways:

• Appliances including fridge freezers use energy labels that can estimate how much energy they use.
• The most efficient appliances are rated as A or A+++ (using the older system), like this one on Amazon.
• However, the size of the fridge freezer – typically measured in litres is also important to consider.
• Energy rating is categorised by size, so in general opting for a smaller fridge will use less energy than a larger fridge with the same energy rating, and may even use less than a higher rated one.
• It’s for this reason that it’s always advised to check the energy label of the appliance and look at those with the best rating for the appliance size you require.

How do Energy Efficiency Ratings Work?

The Energy label or energy label rating system was launched in the UK over 20 years ago.

The system is designed to provide an indication of how much energy the appliance or in this case the fridge freezer will use during operation.

The rating system has a scale from A to G, with A being the most efficient and G the least efficient.

The general rule is that the appliances are categorised by their size.

In short, this means that two different sized appliances with the same energy rating may actually have different running costs.

For example, this could mean that a slim line or small F-rated fridge freezer might be more efficient than a large American style E-rated one.

It’s for this reason that it’s always advised to check the energy label of the appliance and look at those with the best rating for the appliance size you require.

Why is having an Energy Efficient Fridge Freezer Important?

As you probably know already, certain appliances use more electricity than others.

There are various factors that come into play, when concerning fridge freezers these primarily include the following:

• The efficiency rating (rated A to G)
• The type of fridge freezer
• Other features that need to be considered e.g. ice machines etc

However, choosing an energy efficient fridge freezer is arguably even more important when you consider that your fridge freezer is constantly switched on and running.

For example, choosing an A-rated fridge freezer over an F-rated model will save you an estimated £800 and 670kg CO2e in energy bills over it’s entire lifespan.

How Much Does a Fridge Freezer Cost to Run?

As mentioned, the running costs of a fridge freezer depend on it’s efficiency ratings, it’s size (measured in litres), how it’s used and other features that may use additional energy.

However, an energy efficiency rating can provide an estimation, but in order to understand the true costs, it’s important to make some practical comparisons….

For example, if you compare two similar sized fridge freezers that are both A-rated (the most efficient), it will cost an estimated 10p a day to run, compared with a D rating model, which will cost you around 21p a day to run, while a fridge freezer with an F rating (the least efficient) will cost around 39p a day.

However, if you are comparing fridge freezer models that are different sizes (typically measured in litres) but the same energy efficiency rating, the larger model will likely cost more to run, which can cause some confusion, since many people think the energy efficiency rating is all that matters.

For example, this means that a slim line or small F-rated fridge freezer might be more efficient than a large American style E-rated one.

So to summarise, as the energy rating is categorised by size, opting a smaller fridge will use less energy than a larger fridge with the same energy rating, and may even use less than a higher rated one.

A quick trick is to compare the total energy consumption of appliances by checking out their annual energy consumption in kWh/annum – you can find this on the rating scale below the energy label.

Which Fridge Freezers Are The Cheapest to Run?

When shopping for a new energy efficient fridge freezer and running costs a priority, consider the following factors:

Choose a Smaller/Slimline Fridge Freezer

If running costs are a priority opt for a slimline and/or fridge freezer that is on the smaller side.

In general, the larger the fridge freezer, the higher the running costs.

For instance, a larder style fridge freezer sized at 300 litre will cost around half as much in running costs as a 600 litre American style fridge freezer.

Opt for a Fridge Freezer with an Inverter Compressor

A traditional compressor’s job is to turn on and off, hence why they are referred to as regular stop-start compressor’s.

A newer “inverter compressor” only slows down instead of stopping once the ideal temperature has been achieved, enabling it to maintain a consistent speed, use less energy in comparison and therefore operate more efficiently.

Use Holiday Mode

Some of the most efficient fridge freezer models have a “holiday mode”.

This feature enables you to set the fridge freezer to a higher temperature when you are not at home i.e. when you are on holiday and unlikely to be storing fresh produce and so allows you to save money during this period.

What is Eco Buy?

If you care about the environment too, you may want to opt for an Eco Buy fridge freezer, this is label that means the fridge freezer will leave a have a lower impact on the environment.

Most Energy Efficient Fridge Freezers UK

Always consider your requirements i.e. the size of the fridge freezer you require before simply comparing energy efficiency ratings alone.

Remember that the energy rating label isn’t the only consideration, the size, type and features of the fridge freezer are also very important.

If running’s costs are a top priority for you then try to limit the size of the fridge freezer you use e.g. a larder style or slimline design is typically going to be cheaper to run than a double door American style model.