Let’s start with the elephant in the room. When it comes to home energy consumption, refrigerators eat up 11 percent of the entire home’s electricity (as much as all the lights combined). So use them as efficiently as possible, even if they’re Energy Star-certified.
Don’t turn up the thermostat on your refrigerator or freezer just to make things colder, but do keep in mind that when fresh foods are stored properly, at their specific optimal temperatures, they stay fresh longer, meaning fewer gas-guzzling trips to the store.
Use some inexpensive refrigerator and freezer thermometers and check them seasonally; you’ll likely need to adjust the thermostats every winter and summer.
Greener by Degrees
In general, 37 to 40 degrees F cools sufficiently without wasting electricity, even though 35 to 38 degrees is a better range for extending the freshness of foods. Make the most of the cold spots in your fridge without turning the thermostat down: these are located along the freezer wall (in a side-by-side) or in the back of the fridge-never in the door.
You’ll get a few days’ extra mileage by keeping dairy products and eggs at 33 degrees, meats at or just above 31 degrees, and most fruits and vegetables between 34 and 40 degrees (citrus fruits are best at 39 degrees).
Freezer Packs Make Meats Last Longer
Fresh meat and poultry can last up to three days longer if stored at 31 degrees F, well below the standard fridge temperature. The spoilage rate slows down, without solid freezing. Some fridges have programmable bins with this setting, but check this out: to increase the chilling power of a standard meat bin, toss in one of those frozen blue-ice packs, the kind used in picnic coolers.
Or, if you’re planning on slow-thawing a frozen package of meat, do it in the meat bin. It will take a couple days to thaw and will drop the other meats to a lower temperature at the same time. By the way, fish markets have loads of freezer packs; ask for a pack or two to keep your fish cool on your way home and in your fridge. Wash the pack well with a little vinegar in the water to remove any odors, and reuse it whenever you need to chill.
Seven Green Ways to Use a Freezer Pack
Freezer packs thaw slowly, especially inside a refrigerator, and they don’t waste water like melting ice can. Keep some handy in the freezer, then use them:
- In a bowl instead of ice when shocking vegetables in “ice water”
- In the refrigerator meat bin (a lower temperature can extend freshness up to three days)
- To take up vacant fridge or freezer space (the motor won’t need to work so hard)
- To keep groceries chilled in an ice chest (less pressure to rush home, so you can do more errands while you’re out; plus perishables last longer when kept consistently cold)
- For ice chest-chilled drinks on patios and at barbecues (with fewer trips indoors, the house and fridge both stay cooler)
- To keep refrigerated fish at its peak of freshness
- Under your milk carton (dairy products prefer 33 degrees F, slightly cooler than most fridges)
Get the Most Out of Your Fridge
For a more energy-efficient refrigerator:
- Keep the refrigerator coils clean by vacuuming them occasionally; they’ll function more efficiently.
- Make sure the seal isn’t worn out: close the door with a lit flashlight inside. If you can see light from the door seal, replace the seal.
- Let air circulate around the refrigerator exterior. Heat from the coils needs to escape; if it doesn’t, the unit works harder. Leave a few inches of breathing room at top, especially, and around the sides. Avoid placing items that block circulation on top of the fridge.
Tags: Cooking Green, Freezer Packs, Get the Most Out of Your Fridge, greener fridge, Seven Green Ways to Use a Freezer Pack