Compact Refrigerators

Could I save energy with a small fridge?

My husband and I separated. My apt. has a large refrigerator but I barely keep it half full. Would I be better off to buy one more practical for my usage? I saw a very nice 6 cu.ft. one that I think would suit my needs. Do you waste energy using a fridge that is only half full all the time?

Public Comments

1. yes you do, its loads of air to cool that gets lost every time you open it. a small one would be more efficient, also would take less energy anyway, and if you are buying new, get an a++ best efficiency rated one. you might be able to sell the old one, or at least give it away, loads of people on hard times now. and looking at the half empty one will be depressing! best wishes and good luck in your new life :-)
2. Small fridge equipped with a smaller compressor. It would require more energy to run. You didn't mention how old your current fridge is. A newer model would likely to be Energy star compliant. When you have your fridge half full, the space is occupied by cold air. This cold air "escaped" and cause the temperature rises. That's why they recommend get all the food at one time and not to open and close the fridge many times. If you keep the fridge packed with stuff, there is less space and less cold air to escape when you open the door. So, in the long run, it's better to have an Energy Star rating fridge with the size that match your grocery shopping and food consumption needs. In your case, a small fridge seems to work better.
3. Yes, if you choose a energy star small fridge. The large fridge has to work overtime every time you open the door. Having a near empty fridge means there is nothing to hold the cold in. You will probably have to keep the fridge in your apt. so to make sure you don't get mold put charcoal in each compartment to keep the moisture out, otherwise you will need to make sure the door doesn't close. If you don't want to bother with a small fridge you can fill several containers with water, empty milk jugs work nice to fill some of the space and help the fridge work more efficiently.