The Significance of Energy-Star Ratings in Your Fridges
All fridges and freezers are required to be labelled with a South African Energy Efficiency Label to help consumers understand the relative energy efficiency of different fridges and freezers. They have been required to display an energy label since 1986 and to meet minimum energy efficiency levels since 1999. As a result, refrigerators and freezers are now approximately 70 per cent more efficient than they were 30 years ago.
The Energy Rating tells consumers how much energy a refrigerator or freezer uses per year and displays a star rating that allows you to compare its efficiency with that of refrigerators or freezers of the same size and type.
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What Is The Star Rating?
The star rating is about energy efficiency – that is how efficient a model is relative to other models of the same size.
More stars mean the fridge is more efficient when compared to other models of the same size.
Most products are given between 1 and 6 stars. However, technology keeps getting better, as does energy efficiency. This is why nowadays you’ll see some super-efficient models in shops and online with an extra row for stars, as they can have up to 10.
Calculating Running Costs
You can use the Energy Rating Label to work out rough running costs.
Simply take the energy consumption figure – and divide it by 4. For example, if the Energy Rating Label on a washing machine says it uses 400 kWh, it means it will cost you roughly R1,500 per year to run.
However, how often a machine is used varies between households – and the electricity rates vary between providers and regions.
Since fridges are operated 24 hours a day, every day of the year, they can be significant users of energy in households. Hence the star rating is significant and something to always consider.
To protect consumers from purchasing inefficient fridges and freezers, Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) have been set for fridges and freezers. Currently, only fridges with an Energy Efficiency Rating of Class B or better can be sold. Just Fridge is full of stars and we are here to make sure you have the most efficient fridge for your needs.
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Image: SOUTH AFRICAN ENERGY EFFICIENCY LABEL
