Domestic or commercial refrigerators both require power consumption probably more than any other appliance. They are undeniably the most necessary appliances, especially in the modern household. That said, there is not much that you can do to avoid this recurring bill. However, with the advancements in technology, modern fridges consume way less energy than their traditional counterparts. How many watts does a refrigerator use? The average fridge can consume between 100 and 400 watts, a large one consuming up to 180 watts or 1575 kWh every year. The number of watts a refrigerator uses is certainly not standard. It depends on various factors that we shall also cover in this article.
Factors that Influence How Much Wattage Your Refrigerator consumes?
Although fridges seem to consume a lot of wattages relatively, they consume less power than other main electric appliances such as electric cookers, water heaters, or air conditioners. Several factors affect the amount of wattage a refrigerator can consume. They include;
- Type of fridge. Type refers to whether it is domestic or commercial. Ideally, a commercial fridge with a freezer can consume more wattage than the times more compared to your home bar fridge.
- Age. Dated refrigerators are less energy-efficient, and hence they require more power. Today brands are coming up with new high star rated fridges that consume less energy and are eco-friendly. Star ratings are more like guides when purchasing a refrigerator.
- Usage. You can determine how much you use your fridge depending on how frequently its door is held open. Another factor to consider would be how often it is stocked. Essentially, an empty refrigerator would have to work overtime compared to a reasonably-stocked one. In the former, the cool air is replaced with warm air every time its door is open.
- Temperature. Refrigerators come with temperature set points that you can adjust on your own. You may need to adapt to a more appropriate temperature as the factory settings may be more relaxed than required. Also, another temperature consideration is the season. Refrigerators use more power in summer than during winter due to higher ambient temperatures.
- Size. Larger fridges, for example, side by side fridges and walk-in fridges, consume relatively require more wattage, thus consuming more energy.
- Condition. Fridge gaskets or seals are there purposefully. A seal is an elastic strip attached to the outer edges of fridge or freezer compartments. They are meant to control temperature, regulate the fridge’s internal conditions, and also aid in keeping food fresh.
How to Calculate Refrigerator Power Consumption.
The primary way to calculate the amount of energy or power your fridge should consume is by doing a little Math. In summary, the formula is;
Fridge Wattage x Hours Per Day= Watt-hours per day
Watt-hours/1000= kWh per day.
However, this method is not the most convenient, nor is it the most accurate. It is because it does not put into consideration another variable such as faults.
The second option would be to use a plug-in meter that automatically calculates your refrigerator’s power consumption. Contrary to the first method, these devices measure rather than estimating power consumption, and you can do so for any period. For instance, plug in the meter for an entire day to measure how much your fridge consumes in 24 hours.
Helpful Tips to Reduce Your Refrigerator Power Consumption
You cannot change the wattage of your fridge, but you can significantly cut down on its power consumption by doing the following;
Reduce the number of fridges you use. Your household or commercial premise may have several refrigerators that are partially filled. By consolidating the use down to one, you stand to save more.
Use timer switches- especially for smaller fridges or drink and bar fridges. Drinks are barely perishable; therefore, you can set timers to switch the refrigerator off once they are cold enough or in case you forget.
Adjust temperature settings- The default setting may not always be ideal for your environment or the season. Therefore it is wise to change them appropriately.
Check on the refrigerator’s ventilation- At times, jamming fridges in between wall cabinets and walls may substantially increase its consumption as air cannot flow freely.
The first helpful indicator should be on the fridge compliance plate whenever you go shopping for a fridge. It contains information such as wattage, voltage, and the conservation time from power failure.
