1 week Ago By Alex Evans
They are a household staple found in every kitchen up and down the country - but the cost of running your fridge freezer is set to increase from April 1. That’s because energy bills are rising yet again, pushing up the cost of running every household appliance from kettles to air fryers, washing machines and tumble dryers. Currently, electricity costs an average of 24.
86p per kWh, and it will go up to 27.03p per kWh from April 1, when Ofgem increases prices of gas and electricity by an average of 6.4%, or £111 a year.
According to Ideal Home, an average E-rated 70/30 267-litre fridge freezer uses 232 kWh of electricity a year, resulting in running costs of £57.68 for a year, with the appliance switched on around the clock. When prices increase from April, the new running costs will push the cost to run the appliance for a year to £62.
70 per year, an increase of £5.02 per year. Of course, other appliances may cost even more to run, if they’re older, larger or less efficient than the average fridge freezer.
American style fridge freezers, for example, tend to be much larger, with more expensive features such as water cooling and ice making, which will add even more to your annual bills. According to Ideal Home, there are ways you can cut down the cost of running a fridge freezer. This includes keeping the doors closed - opening them for too long will destroy the cold temperature inside and force the fridge to work hard to cool it down again, costing electricity.
You can also dust the coils at the back of the fridge, which is something you’ve probably never done. According to Which?, thick dust can reduce efficiency by as much as 25%. Try to clean them a couple of times a year – unplug your appliance, use a vacuum attachment to remove most of the dust, then brush away the rest.
Finally, you should also make sure the appliance is not in direct sunlight, and has enough space around it. Being in a warm spot, or having too little space, can cause the fridge to work harder to keep cool. Of course, the best way to save money on your bills right now is to get a fix.
There are still fixed energy deals cheaper than the April price cap available on the market, which will save you money against the new prices and guarantee to lock your price in for the next 12 months, but time is rapidly running out to grab one before April..
