Photo courtesy of LG

One of the biggest power consumers in your home lives in your kitchen—it’s called the refrigerator. While your fridge keeps your food nice and cool, it’s also sucking up a whole lot of energy and raising your utility bill in the process. Here are some dos and don’ts to prevent your fridge from having to work so hard.


DO defrost your freezer regularly. It may be inconvenient, but it will help your fridge work more efficiently.

DO keep some of your food outside of the fridge. Not everything—including fresh produce, such as apples and tomatoes—needs to be kept cold. 

DO try setting the fridge temperature to a slightly warmer one. Keeping your fridge set at the coolest setting usually isn’t necessary. Every little bit counts!

DON’T open it so much. Repeatedly opening and closing the refrigerator door when you’re looking for a snack wastes energy.

DON’T put food in the fridge when it’s still hot. If you don’t leave leftovers on the counter to cool first, the fridge will have to work extra hard to cool them down.

DON’T overfill it. A fridge crammed with food takes more energy to stay cool. Plus, an overfilled fridge is more likely to be left ajar—leading to leakages and spoiled food.