"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:33:06 -0400, Nate Nagel
wrote:

subject says all...

in an effort to see how much a new fridge would really be worth in terms
of energy savings I got a Kill-A-Watt (found one online under $30)
hooked it up to fridge. In 24 hours of use it's apparently used almost
2.5 kWh - that's over 900 kWh/year!

I see most of the fridges that I'm considering are rated at about 500
kWh/year give or take.

do both of these numbers seem reasonable? A new 25 ft^3 "energy star"
fridge would use a little more than half as much juice as my 20 year old
18 ft^3 clunker?

If this is true, I won't feel nearly so badly about spending the $$$...

nate


For the most part I trust the accuracy of a kill-o-watt meter. I
trust government claims (or anything else for that matter) much less
than years ago. Check the refrigerator wall thicknesses when you
compare. Refrigerators use a lot of energy.

Consumer Reports had an article recently saying that the Energy Guide (and
thus Energy Star) ratings for refrigerators were way off, especially on the
side by side ones, because they did not mimic the way most people use the
refrigerator. Think the inaccuracy of the old EPA mileage rating system.
You will need to use your Kill-A-Watt on your new box to tell your real
savings.
--
Peace,
BobJ