‘A true eco-house would not have a fridge.'

Suzanne Elvidge knows that we need to chill and freeze food - but at what cost to the planet?

Fridges and freezers are great for ethical lifestyles, because they mean you can store food for longer (so fewer fossil fuel-consuming trips to the shops) and they help you preserve the glut of food that has doubtless come from your eco-friendly organic allotment.

However, according to the Energy Saving Trust, we spend £3 billion a year powering consumer electronics, around 30% of the household electricity bill, and £1.6 billion of this is on cooling and freezing food and drinks.

A truly eco-house would not have a fridge, but this isn’t always practical. So how do you choose the greenest fridge (not just a fridge that’s green).

Old or new?

The first option is to decide whether you want a new or second-hand fridge or freezer.

Energy-efficient fridges and freezers use over 60% less energy than older versions, saving 64-150 kg CO2 each year. However, if you buy second-hand (or even get an unwanted one for nothing on Freecycle) you have saved the environmental impact both of making a new fridge and disposing of an old one (we throw away 3 million fridges and freezers each year, along with the associated toxic waste).

What to look for in a new fridge or freezer

When you buy a new fridge or freezer, check for the EU energy label – this will tell you how efficient the appliance is.

The most efficient fridges and freezers are rated A++. The Energy Saving Trust’s website will find recommended products for you. Etheco also has an ethical shopping search engine.

Buy the smallest fridge or freezer for your needs – the smaller the fridge, the more efficiently it will run.

Running an efficient fridge

Once you’ve chosen your fridge, there are a few eco-tips to reduce the energy usage:

• Don’t leave the door open – the Fridge Alert will warn you if you do (the question is, does it detect midnight fridge raiders?)
  
• Fridges and freezers work at their best when well-stocked (try containers of cold water to fill in the gaps), but don’t keep things in there that don’t need to be refrigerated - this reduced the number of times you need to open the door.
  
• Check the temperature – keeping the fridge too cold wastes energy.
  
• Defrost the freezer regularly (don’t have an auto-defrost one as these use more energy) and keep the condenser coils clean.
  
• Fit your fridge freezer with a SavaPlug. Fridges use the most power when the motor is starting up, and this plug reduces the power once the motor is running.
  
• And finally, make yourself a recycled fridge magnet (as opposed to a magnetic fridge)!

What to do with the old fridge?

You could give it away through Freecycle, or sell it on Ebay.

If your fridge or freezer is completely unusable, contact your local authority who will take it away, or take it to your local recycling/waste disposal site, or make it into a DIY bench or solar thermal panel.