A refrigerator with dirty coils can cost up to 35% more to run, will break down early (costing you more money in replacement costs), and has a larger negative impact on the climate.
What you can do:
Quick Win:
Take a few minutes right now to clean the coils of your fridge (and throw out that old spinach dip while you are at it!).
Can’t find the coils? The coils on new fridges are located at the bottom, behind the foot plate. For older models the coils are at the back.
Also put coil cleaning on your calendar. Do this every 6 months or so and you will save some cash and prevent more carbon from warming our planet. (More details on cleaning located here)
Even better:
Get three friends to do the same thing. Coordinated action makes a bigger impact.
P.S. Old refrigerators are a real problem. They use more energy and leak refrigerants that are incredibly harmful. If you’ve got an old one, check out the Energy Star Flip Your Fridge Calculator and consider downsizing to just one fridge or upgrading to a new one. And be sure to dispose of the old one safely.
Some states and utility companies even offer rebates to help offset the cost of new, energy efficient models.