Purchasing a new refrigerator for your home can definitely help you save on the ever rising energy costs.
If you have a fifteen year old refrigerator, then you will definitely want to consider the fact that it is probably the right time to replace it.
The question that needs to be asked is what should your look for when you are shopping for a new refrigerator for your home.
Going out and purchasing a new refrigerator is a big deal, because in the typical home the refrigerator is the third largest energy user.
So, it definitely makes sense that you look not only at the many features that are available, but that you also take a look at the energy use of each model that you are considering.
After you have found the basic features that you are looking for, which a very easy place for you to start is by looking for models with the Energy Star symbol.
Energy Star refrigerators are at least fifteen percent more efficient than the minimum federal efficiency standards.
That is because they use improved and high efficiency compressors.
The new models available on the market will also have more insulation and more precise temperature and defrosting controls, which will help you save even more energy.
If a refrigerator is more than fifteen years old, then you will find that a new Energy Star qualified model will only require about half as much electricity as the old one, which means that your utility bill will be cheaper.
As you compare the different models, you will also want to take a good long look at the yellow Energy Guide label on each model.
The yellow Energy Guide label will allow you to compare the estimated cost to operate the various models.
However, while most Energy Star models will typically cost a bit more, the money you save on your electric bill will typically more than make up for any difference.
Most utility companies will offer you up to twenty five dollars back on the purchase of qualifying Energy Star refrigerators from a participating utility company retailer.
To receive this type of rebate you also must agree to recycle your old refrigerator, which the utility will do for you free.
Simply put, old refrigerators and freezers from the early 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s are big energy wasters.
When you purchase an old appliance at a garage sale or even when you pass them on to relatives just compounds energy inefficiency.
In addition to inefficient energy use, the refrigerant used in the old refrigerators and freezers is classified as a greenhouse gas and should be kept out of the environment.
However, with out the proper decommissioning, the refrigerant gas in these old units often escapes into the environment, creating problems with the earth's atmosphere.
While there may not be any rebate on the Energy Star models, if you are in the market for a freezer, be sure to look for the Energy Star label, which there is a rebate.
Energy Star qualified freezer models use at least ten percent less energy than required by current federal standards.