- There have been new energy efficiency classes since March 2021
- Do not place the refrigerator next to heat sources such as heaters, stoves, dishwashers or washing machines.
- Avoid direct sunlight on the refrigerator.
- If you are away for a longer period of time, such as on vacation, empty the refrigerator and unplug the appliance. Then leave the door on the refrigerator open so that it can dry out.
With an average of 11 percent, refrigerators and freezers are major electricity consumers in the home. Anyone buying a new device should definitely pay attention to the EU energy label, advises Cathrin Becker, energy advisor at the consumer advice center.

EU energy label for refrigerators 2021
New energy efficiency classes have been planned for this since March 2021. For refrigerators and freezers, these lie between A and F. The new classification makes sense, as almost all devices previously fell into a class with an A and a plus sign. Now the classification of devices should be distributed across more energy classes so that it is easier to find economical devices. Also new on the label is a QR code that leads to the new European database EPREL. You can find further product information there. Other symbols on the label provide information about consumption values that help to compare different devices, for example volume and noise level. Those interested can find further information about purchasing devices at Stiftung Warentest .
Consumers who continue to use existing refrigerators and freezers can also save.
Cathrin Becker gives the following energy saving tips:
- Do not place the refrigerator next to heat sources such as heaters, stoves, dishwashers or washing machines. Avoid direct sunlight on the refrigerator.
- Do not put warm foods in the refrigerator.
- An internal temperature of 7 degrees is completely sufficient.
- Avoid unnecessarily long opening.
- Defrost the freezer regularly
- Check the rubber seals on the doors every now and then. To do this, put a flashlight in the refrigerator and see if a beam of light penetrates it in the dark.
- The ventilation slots must not be covered so that heat does not build up.
- If you are away for a longer period of time, such as on vacation, empty the refrigerator and unplug the appliance. Then leave the door on the refrigerator open so that it can dry out.
The consumer advice center also provides further information on the topic of saving electricity when cooling and freezing on its website
Source: consumer advice center
Also read: Investigation of microplastics in table salt
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

