In this article, we will see double-door refrigerator’s power consumption and the cost to run them, also we will see whether old double-door refrigerators consume a lot of power.
Double-door refrigerators come in different capacities ranging from 190 ltr to 270 ltr. Depending on the size and the number of energy-saving stars the annual power consumption of Double-door refrigerators varies from 200 kWh to 350 kWh.
To get a well-rounded answer on the power consumption of double-door refrigerators, I have browsed through amazon and a bunch of other e-commerce websites to find out the annual power consumption of almost every size double-door refrigerator and compiled the following data.
Double-Door Refrigerator Power Consumption:
In almost every country, all refrigerators available today are energy star rated, hence, you can go to the refrigerator manufacturer’s website or your country’s top e-commerce website and find an energy-saving label associated with a refrigerator.
The below image shows the annual power consumption of an LG 340 ltr, 3-star double-door refrigerator listed on Amazon India.
For easy comparison, I have made the following tables that show the annual power consumption of different capacity double-door refrigerators from Samsung and LG.
| Samsung Double-Door Refrigerator Size | Annual Power Consumption (kWh) |
|---|---|
| 253 ltr (2 star) | 243 kWh |
| 253 ltr (3 star) | 195 kWh |
| 275 ltr (2 star) | 248 kWh |
| 275 ltr (3 star) | 199 kWh |
| 314 ltr (2 star) | 258 kWh |
| 345 ltr (3 star) | 212 kWh |
| 670 ltr (2 star) | 341 kWh |
| LG Double-Door Refrigerator Size | Annual Power Consumption (kWh) |
|---|---|
| 260 ltr (2 star) | 248 kWh |
| 260 ltr (3 star) | 198 kWh |
| 340 ltr (2 star) | 263 kWh |
| 340 ltr (3 star) | 214 kWh |
| 360 ltr (2 star) | 272 kWh |
| 360 ltr (3 star) | 217 kWh |
| 423 ltr (2 star) | 286 kWh |
| 423 ltr (3 star) | 229 kWh |
| 630 ltr (3 star) | 253 kWh |
Few things to notice from the above table,
- Even though the capacity of the refrigerator doubles their power consumption hardly goes up by 50%. For Samsung, the 253 ltr (2-star) double-door refrigerator consumes 243 kWh, whereas, the 670 ltr (2-star) consumes just 341 kWh. (volume doubles, but power consumption goes up by 40%)
- In the case of LG, the change is even smaller. The 260 ltr (2-star) double-door refrigerator consumes 248 kWh, whereas, the 630 ltr (3-star) consumes just 253 kWh.
- Hence, bigger fridges are more energy-efficient than smaller ones, as it consumes less electricity to cool a unit volume of space.
- A similar size and energy star-rated double-door refrigerator from Samsung & LG consumes the same electricity, 253 ltr (3-star) from Samsung consumes 195 kWh, whereas, the 260 ltr (3-star) from LG consumes 198 kWh.
Before we go ahead and calculate the cost to run double-door refrigerators, let us quickly see how stars impact the power consumption of a refrigerator.
How stars affect the power consumption of Double-door refrigerators:
If you have done a bit of googling on energy-saving stars or walked inside a store to purchase refrigerators or ACs, you would have surely heard one thing” More stars means more saving”.
That’s absolutely true, but exactly how much saving? let’s find out.
From the above table, we can clearly see,
With an increase in energy-saving stars, the annual power consumption of a refrigerator drops by 20%.
- For example, the 275 ltr (2-star) double-door refrigerator from Samsung consumes 248 kWh, whereas, the 275 ltr (3-star) refrigerator from Samsung consumes just 199 kWh (almost 20% less than the 2-star one).
- And the 360 ltr (2-star) double-door refrigerator from LG consumes 272 kWh, whereas, the 360 ltr (3-star) refrigerator from LG consumes just 217 kWh (20% less than the 2-star one).
The bottom line is “More energy stars mean more saving”, to quantify it, with every additional energy-saving star you can expect almost a 20% reduction in power consumption.
Now let’s look at how much it costs to run double-door refrigerators.
How Much Does It Cost To Run Double-Door Refrigerator:
You can find the cost to run any refrigerator by using the below formula.
Cost to run a refrigerator = Power consumption of the refrigerator X electricity tariff.
You can find the annual power consumption of a refrigerator from its energy-saving label.
The electricity tariff is basically the amount your electricity provider charges you for one kWh (unit) of electricity. I live in Mumbai, India here the electricity tariff is Rs 10/kWh.
Unit or kWh is the electricity consumption of an appliance, this is printed on your refrigerator’s energy-saving label.
I have put together the following table that shows the electricity tariff of a few countries.
Electricity Tariff Around The World:
| Country | Electricity Tariff | Country | Electricity Tariff |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 0.154/kWh | India | Rs 6/kWh |
| United Kingdom | £ 0.27/kWh | Germany | € 0.44/kWh |
| Canada | C$ 0.30/kWh | Philippines | ₱ 9.70/kWh |
| Australia | A$ 0.32/kWh | South Africa | R 2.558/kWh |
You can also check out the following resources to know your electricity tariff:
- https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/electricity_prices/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-prices-in-selected-countries/
In the table below, I have calculated the annual running cost of Samsung double-door refrigerators in Mumbai (India), the Philippines, and the US.
(As we saw above, for a specific capacity almost every brand of refrigerator consumes the same power. Hence, this table applies to pretty much all manufacturers).
| Double-Door Refrigerator Size | Annual Power Consumption (kWh) | Mumbai, India Rs 10/kWh | Philippines ₱ 9.70/kWh | USA 16.20 cents/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 253 ltr (2 star) | 243 kWh | Rs 2,430 | ₱ 2,463 | $ 39.36 |
| 253 ltr (3 star) | 195 kWh | Rs 1,950 | ₱ 1,891 | $ 31.59 |
| 275 ltr (2 star) | 248 kWh | Rs 2,480 | ₱ 2,405 | $ 40.17 |
| 275 ltr (3 star) | 199 kWh | Rs 1,990 | ₱ 1,930 | $ 32.23 |
| 314 ltr (2 star) | 258 kWh | Rs 2,580 | ₱ 2,502 | $ 41.79 |
| 345 ltr (3 star) | 212 kWh | Rs 2,120 | ₱ 2,056 | $ 34.34 |
| 670 ltr (2 star) | 341 kWh | Rs 3,410 | ₱ 3,307 | $ 55.24 |
The annual running cost of double-door refrigerators is between Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,400 in India, ₱ 1,900 to ₱ 3,300 in the Philippines, and $ 30 to $ 55 in the US.
From the above table, it’s pretty clear that it does not cost much to run double-door refrigerators, especially the ones with higher energy-saving stars.
However, if you have an old refrigerator that is not energy-star-rated, then I think it’s time to buy one. As old refrigerators consume a lot of electricity.
Let’s see exactly how much.
Do Old Refrigerators Consume a Lot Of Power?
If you are browsing the web to find out tips to reduce your house electricity bill, then this would surely come up ” Replace old appliances with new energy-efficient ones.”
How true is this? let’s find out.
The image on the left is of my refrigerator. It’s a 2010 model, 230 ltr, 4-star rated energy-efficient refrigerator from LG.
Its annual power consumption is 460 kWh.
The image on the right is of a 2021 model, 260 ltr, 3-star refrigerator from LG, its annual power consumption is just 198 kWh.
Hence, you can clearly see, in the last 10 years, the power consumption of a same-size refrigerator, from the same manufacturer, with a similar energy star rating has drastically reduced by more than half.
(Well my old fridge had 4 stars and the new one has just 3, but still, its power consumption is half of my old fridge).
Now imagine, you have a refrigerator from 2005, just replacing that with a new energy-efficient fridge will drastically reduce your electricity bill.
Hence, it’s safe to say, yes, old refrigerators consume a lot of electricity. In fact, old refrigerators consume almost two times more power than new refrigerators of similar size.
If you have reached this far, then it would be pretty clear to you that new modern refrigerators don’t consume a lot of electricity.
Here are a few tips to reduce your refrigerator power consumption even more.
Energy Saving Tips To Keep Your Refrigerator Operational Costs Low
- Keep the refrigerator full – This sounds bizarre but keeping your refrigerator full helps to cut down the power consumption. A full refrigerator does not mean overstuffing the refrigerator, it means a more organized fridge that has enough place for proper air circulation.
- Optimize temperature settings – Most of the refrigerators are running at temperatures way below needed. On average a temperature of 2 C to 5 C is ideal for the fridge compartment and for the freezer, anything between -10 C to -15 C is good. Don’t overdo the temperature. Just switch your refrigerator setting to normal on normal days and below normal on cold days (use the regulator inside your refrigerator).
- Keep the refrigerator door closed – Frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator door puts an unnecessary load on the compressor to cool the fresh warm air that enters the space every time you open the door. If you cut down your door opening frequency you will see a drop in your power consumption.
- Place refrigerator strategically – Two questions your should ask yourself before finalizing your refrigerator place. First, is the place getting direct sunlight? if yes, then look for some other place or restrict the sunlight coming to that place by some means. Second, after placing the refrigerator is there any space between the refrigerator walls and your house wall? Ideally, you should keep 6 inches of space on all three sides for proper ventilation. You can check out this awesome article from Samsung on how to place your refrigerator How much free space should I allow around my refrigerator?
- Lifestyle changes – Do not keep hot food directly in the refrigerator. First, let the food cool down and then put it in the refrigerator. Periodically clean the evaporator and condenser coils. Keep your food organized so that there is enough space for free movement of air.
if you liked this article on the power consumption of refrigerators then please share it with your friends on Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and Reddit.
You can check out this article to know more about the power consumption of common household appliances.
Check out my articles on solar power for home and how it can help you save your electricity bill.
Check out the following articles to know the power consumption of other appliances:
- Power consumption of infrared heaters.
- Power consumption of water heater
- Power consumption of tankless water heater.
- Power consumption of an electric immersion heater.
- Power consumption of an electric kettle.
- Power consumption of an electric fireplace.
- Power consumption of a washing machine.
- Power consumption of air conditioner.
You can check out this article to know more about the power consumption of common household appliances.
Check out my articles on solar power for home and how it can help you save your electricity bill.
Thank you for reading.
Aavjo 👋
References:
- https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/electricity_prices/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-prices-in-selected-countries/
- https://www.samsung.com/in/microsite/single-door-refrigerators/
- https://www.lg.com/in/refrigerators
- https://www.beestarlabel.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Energy_Efficiency
- Double Door Refrigerator Power Consumption
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