M1. Replace Older Refrigerators with High-Efficiency Units

Description

After lighting, refrigerators are the second largest users of electricity in most households (not including households with electric heat or hot water). Because refrigerators are such a significant user of energy, they should be a focus of conservation efforts. Older units use up to four times more electricity than the most efficient new models available in the same size. Replacing these inefficient units with new, more efficient refrigerators can realize substantial energy and cost savings. In many cases, it is cost-effective to replace older refrigerators before scheduled replacement because of the electricity cost savings.

The most common size of refrigerators in public housing is the 14- to 15-cubic-foot range. In that range, the most efficient refrigerator available today uses 372 kWh per year. This automatic-defrost model is ENERGY STAR^® qualified because it is 15 percent more efficient than federal standards require. By contrast, the average refrigerator in that size purchased before 1991 uses around 1,100 kWh, with older units using more than 1,500 kWh per year.

Energy savings from refrigerator replacement depend on the efficiency of the old units. In general, the older and bigger a refrigerator, the more electricity it uses. The following table presents sample paybacks for replacing old units in the 14- to 15-cubic-foot size range with the most efficient model available. If the payback is shorter than the number of years left before scheduled replacement, it is cost-effective to replace them ahead of schedule.

Applicability

• Single-family and multifamily buildings with refrigerators over eight years old

Types

• Top freezer
• Bottom freezer
• Side-by-side

Considerations

• The PHA or a qualified contractor must properly dispose of old refrigerators.
• Generally, automatic-defrost models are less efficient than ones with manual defrost.

Performance/Economics

• The most efficient new models are two to four times more efficient than older refrigerators.

Resources/Links

ENERGY STAR Program: Refrigerators. Identifies refrigerators that meet Energy Star program requirements.

PHECC ENERGY STAR Page. Includes PIH notice encouraging the use of ENERGY STAR in HUD housing, a fact sheet on how PHAs can use ENERGY STAR, and a process for bulk purchasing refrigerators.

Energy Conservation for Housing – A Workbook, HUD, September 1998. Pages 7-141 through 7-144 address replacing older refrigerators with high efficiency units.

Improving Energy Efficiency in Apartment Buildings, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, 1995. ISBN 0-918249-23-6. Pages 116 through 118 address replacing older refrigerators with high-efficiency units.

Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, 1999, ISBN 0-918249-38-4. Pages 137 through 141 address replacing existing refrigerators with high efficiency units.