Contact: NOVEC Public Relations, 1-888-335-0500, [email protected]
MANASSAS, Va. – Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative encourages Virginians who need a new refrigerator to purchase one marked with the ENERGY STAR label during the commonwealth’s Sales Tax Holiday, Aug. 7-9. Northern Virginians will save the state 6% sales tax. Eligible models must cost $2,500 or less.
“Refrigerators and freezers use a lot of electricity because they run all the time, 24/7,” says Marlon Gilbert, a NOVEC energy services specialist. “Better insulation and compressors make today’s models much more energy efficient.”
Annual Costs of 19-21 cubic foot refrigerators and freezers by style and model year, at Virginia’s average electricity rate of $0.114/kWh
Style |
Before 1980 |
1980-1989 |
1990-1992 |
1993-2000 |
2001-2010 |
2011-2015 |
freezer on top |
$291 |
$230 |
$175 |
$117 |
$74 |
$50 |
single and French doors with freezer on bottom |
338 |
266 |
203 |
126 |
87 |
61 |
side-by-side |
379 |
299 |
228 |
152 |
97 |
75 |
upright freezer |
294 |
250 |
179 |
129 |
97 |
62 |
chest freezer |
184 |
156 |
112 |
78 |
64 |
43 |
As data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® show, refrigerators with the freezer on top use the least amount of electricity. Side-by-side models, especially ones with exterior water and ice dispensers, use the most.
“Replacing an old refrigerator with a new ENERGY-STAR-certified model will save electricity and dollars,” Gilbert says.
NOVEC’s Five Fridge and Freezer Facts
- Open and close doors quickly. Decide what you need and where to find it beforehand. Cold air spills out of an upright freezer’s door when opened. Better insulation and a heavy lid makes chest freezers 10-25% more energy efficient than uprights.
- Cover foods and liquids to prevent them from releasing moisture and causing the compressor to work harder.
- Keep the freezer stocked to help neighboring items stay cold. Add bags of ice if necessary.
- Locate the refrigerator/freezer away from the oven, if feasible, and out of a garage or carport where extreme weather makes the appliance use more energy to maintain the set temperature.
- Replace the door gasket if you can close the door on a dollar bill and pull the bill out easily.
Learn more at tax.virginia.gov/virginia-sales-tax-holiday, energystar.gov, and novec.com/save.
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