Modern coolers and fridges may not be actively drilling a hole in our ozone layer however older models are still emitting greenhouse gases that are warming our planet.

The Energy Efficiency of European Refrigerators

During the last twenty years, remarkable progress has been made to build energy efficient refrigerator models that consume under half a kilowatt-hour a day. Europe managed to deal with this problem by making it compulsory for technology and appliance manufacturers to make energy efficient European refrigerators that meet the A-class energy efficiency rating. By April 2012, only these particular types will be available for sale on the European market.

Generally, almost all refrigerators are now classified as A, which means an energy usage of about 179 kWh/year. These are generally regarded as being the most energy efficient products available on the market. B and C rated units are just as good nonetheless they are cheaper and much more affordable. They offer energy consumption levels of 402 kWh/year. The European marketplace will not allow the sale of models which range from D to G.

Certification of European Refrigerators

Within the US, the Energy Star commission handles home appliances and accredits them for home usage upon approving usability, performance, ergonomics and energy efficiency. However, in Europe, energy efficiency may be analyzed by the TCO organization or by the European Commission for Energy. Directive number 92/75 at first stipulated that all models of refrigerators needed to have product labels or stickers concerning the energy efficiency of the product.

This kind of sticker and labeling turned out to be so helpful in cutting down energy usage that two additional optional categories of energy saving refrigerators and freezers labeled as A+ and A++ were introduced. Market research conducted last year additionally indicated that shoppers did take note of the colorful labels and a big majority of individuals in Denmark, Norway, Poland and the UK recognized and referred to these labels prior to purchase. Customers were so pleased with the reduced power bills that they were more than happy to pay a little more for the models.

Energy Savings on Refrigerators

Well known European models such as Electrolux, Bausch, Maytag, Prestige, and Gorenje currently have a number of beautifully colored designs which are listed for sale at inexpensive rates but with the best energy savings on every one of them. Out of the variety of models that buyers can select from, the Electrolux two-door refrigerator-freezer as well as , Whirlpool's one-door cabinet refrigerator earned Europe's Energy Plus award. This award was exclusively established by the European Commission to honor the best and most energy efficient models on the market. Electrolux utilizes 203 KWh of electricity each year while Whirlpool utilizes 175 kWh of electricity per year.

However, the actual style of your refrigerator will also have an effect on the power usage. European products use a regular 60cm depth along with a narrow width but relatively high height which runs up to 2.5 meters. Bigger models with smaller doors do need more power however producers have developed cooling methods that can still make these particular models the best in the whole world.

Are you shopping for a refrigerator? Be sure to visit the Narrow Refrigerators site for tips on buying clearance refrigerators or European refrigerators.