How much electricity does the refrigerator consume?

There is a refrigerator in every home, if you do not live in the extreme north, of course. It differs from other household appliances in that it is connected to the network around the clock, which means it winds up kilowatt hours for which we pay money. In this article we will understand how much electricity the refrigerator consumes per day, month and year, and also calculate how much it costs.

Energy efficiency classes

You probably noticed a sticker with colored stripes and letters on the front panel of modern household appliances. It also indicates the energy class of the device.

Interesting: energy efficiency class reflects the efficiency of the device during its operation. This term and the rules for its assignment are established in the directives of the European Commission on Energy and Transport: EU (92/75 / CEE, 94/2 / CE, 95/12 / CE, 96/89 / CE, 2003/66 / CE, No. 2010 / 30 / EC).

Fridge sticker

So the label shows 7 energy classes, where the letter A stands for the most economical device, and the letter G stands for the device that consumes the most electricity. Each class has its own energy efficiency index (EEI - Energy Efficiency Indicator). Moreover, for each type of technology, these indices are calculated in their own way, this is a kind of efficiency factor, reflecting how efficiently the device performs useful work, and how much energy is wasted.

The new directive No. 1060/2010 introduced new and more efficient classes: A +, A ++, A +++. But the label still has 7 classes from A +++ to D, a complete updated table is given below.

Energy classes

In addition, the label indicates:

  • device model;
  • electricity consumption per year;
  • volume of the refrigerator and freezer;
  • noise level.

Why does consumption depend

The refrigerator, although it is constantly connected to the network, but its systems operate in periodic mode. The main functional element is the compressor - it turns on when the temperature inside the refrigerator rises above the allowable limit and turns off when it drops back. There may be one compressor - common for two chambers, but there are also two compressor models - one for a refrigerator and a freezer. Then independent temperature control is available in them.

Temperature regulator

In refrigerators that operate using No Frost technology, there are also fans for blowing out the compartments, and a heater for the defrost mode, which also turns on periodically.

It follows that due to the frequency of inclusion of all parts, it is impossible to calculate the power of each of them and add up to calculate consumption.

The frequency at which the compressor or compressors are turned on and the electricity consumption depends on several factors:

  • Ambient temperature - the hotter, the more often the compressor turns on and the refrigerator consumes more energy to cool products.
  • The frequency of door opening leads to an increase in temperature inside the chambers, it becomes necessary to turn on the compressor to lower it.
  • Dustiness of the condenser (grille on the outside on the back of the unit). With its help, heat is given to the environment and dust will lead to poor heat transfer, the compressor will work for a longer period of time.
  • The initial temperature of the products that you are cooling.

How to calculate consumption

Most modern models wind from 220 to 460 kW per year. Consider the calculation of electricity consumption by the refrigerator per month using the SAMSUNG RB34N5440SA as an example. The energy efficiency class is “A +”, and the annual energy consumption is indicated in the passport and on the sticker with the classes - 314 kW / year.

So, for a month, the refrigerator consumes in kW:

314/12 = 26.16 kW / h

Then per day:

314/365 = 0.86 kWh

And in an hour:

0.86 / 24 = 0.035 kW / h

Convert the latter to W / h:

0.035 / 1000 = 35 W / h

On average in rubles, at the tariffs of the Moscow region (5.04 p.) This will cost:

In a year:

314*5,04=1528

Per month:

26.16 * 5.04 = 131 rubles

Per day:

0.86 * 5.04 = 4.33 rubles

In an hour:

0.035 * 5.04 = 18 kopecks.

Keep in mind that these are averaged data, which can actually be a little more or less, it is affected by the factors listed above. To measure the real power consumption - purchase an energy meter. This device is inserted into the outlet, and the plug from the consumer is inserted into it functionally repeats the usual electricity meter, but with the functions of measuring the instantaneous power, consumed and cost calculation.

In the video below, you can see examples of measuring the power consumption of the refrigerator:

Old-style refrigerators consumed 20-40 percent more. This is due to the materials used, including thermal insulation and construction.

How to save electricity

At the end of the article, we will give you 5 tips to help reduce refrigerator energy consumption:

  1. Do not open doors just like that or keep them open.
  2. Do not refrigerate hot foods - this will increase the temperature inside the chamber.
  3. Periodically clean the condenser - grill on the back of the refrigerator, if it is open
  4. If you have a regular, not a built-in apparatus, do not install it tight against the wall or cover it with anything - the installation should provide good heat transfer.
  5. “NoFrost” models do not require defrosting, but old-style devices require - regularly defrost them.

Now you know how to calculate the energy consumption of a refrigerator and how much light this type of household appliance shakes. We hope the tips provided have helped you sort out the issue!

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