How to Make Your Old Freezer as Efficient as Possible

Feb 12, 2010 | Energy Efficiency

Snapshot | Take action!

Do you have an older freezer? If your freezer pre-dates 1999, take a close look at what it's costing you to run.

A 1992-era 18-cubic-foot freezer can cost between $200 to $530 in electricity annually (based on 15 to 40 cents per kilowatt hour). Today's freezers use half that-so a new freezer can pay for itself in less than two years depending on your energy costs!

But if you don't plan to replace your freezer, consider these 5 easy ways to reduce the power your current one uses:

1. Use it only as needed. If you freeze mostly seasonal food (fruit, game, holiday cookies, food-buying club items, etc.), consider plugging in your freezer only when you need it.

2. Site it carefully. Make sure your freezer is in cool place, away from hot water heaters and hot places such as garages in the summer.

3. Fill it up. If your freezer is not at least 70% full, fill bottles with water and pack them into your freezer to create thermal mass that helps hold the cold.

4. Lower the temperature. Dial down the temperature to freezing, no lower: 32°F or 0°C. Colder temperatures are unnecessary.

5. Defrost it. If your freezer is thick with iced-up condensation, it won't freeze efficiently. Defrost it when you see buildup.

If you decide you don't really need your freezer much, if at all, stop powering it. Recycle it. Unplugging your empty freezer will show up immediately on your power bill. If you don't really need it anymore, recycle it through qualified recyclers. Your town, waste collector, or utility might pick it up free or for a small charge. Some utilities, such as PG&E, will even pay a small sum to get these energy hogs out of use. Your freezer contains valuable recyclable metal as well as refrigerants that qualify as toxic waste, so it's important to use qualified recyclers.

Get rid of old freezer