Finding an Efficient Fridge or Freezer

Buying the best fridge and freezer 

Choosing the right fridge and freezer matters – it should last you over 10 years and will always be running. It’s also the third-largest use of home energy, after heating and hot water.

Investing in an energy-efficient model will keep your food cold while also saving you money over time.

Compare fridges & freezers

How much you can save

Using a 278 L fridge and 138 L freezer with 7 stars on the label,
compared to one with 1 star.

$105
per year
$1,155
over 11 years
70 %
CO₂ emissions

Assumes the fridge and freezer is always on and an electricity price of 0.25 $/kWh.

Why consider efficiency  

Immediate running cost savings – Your monthly energy bills will drop if you make the switch to a more energy-efficient fridge and freezer.
Long-term cost savings – The long-term cost savings over the life of the fridge and freezer often balances out the in-store savings of buying a cheaper, less efficient model. 
Better electricity grid stability – A more efficient fridge and freezer requires less power to operate. This helps lower electricity demand and places less strain on the electricity system at peak times. 
Lower your emissions footprint – If you replace your fridge and freezer for a model that has a higher energy efficiency, you’ll see the greatest reduction in your individual in-use emissions.  
Fewer emissions – The broader environmental benefits of energy-efficient appliances come down to long-term, collective use among Kiwi. This can reduce our need to tap into fossil fuels to meet electricity demand on a national scale.

Since 2002, around 3.9 million tonnes of CO₂ have been avoided by selling more efficient products and appliances in New Zealand and using regulations to remove the worst ones from the market.  

Source: EECA, 2024

Choosing the best configuration

There are a few ways fridges and freezers are configured. In general, combined fridge/freezers are more energy-efficient than separate appliances, although efficiency levels vary across all product types.

Choosing the right setup for your household’s size and needs will help you decide which is best for you. 

Side-by-side fridge/freezer models split the unit down the middle, with the freezer typically on the left and the fridge on the right. They are narrower but deeper than other models, which can make items at the back harder to reach and laying large items flat tricky. Some have through-the-door ice and water dispensers, which uses more electricity and may require a plumber to hook up.
Top or bottom fridge/freezer models split the unit horizontally, with the freezer either above or below the fridge. A top fridge is convenient since you access it more often, but having the freezer below may make veggies in the crisper drawer too cold. With a top freezer, the unit generally performs better, though it may mean a warmer crisper drawer.  
Standalone fridges or freezers are good for storing or freezing food if you buy in bulk or need more capacity beyond a combined model.

Fridges — Buying guide | Consumer NZ (external link)

Freezers — Buying guide | Consumer NZ(external link)

A fridge/freezer with 7 stars on the Energy Rating Label can save you $1,155 over 11 years as compared to a similar fridge/freezer with only 1 star.

Source: EECA, 2024

Understanding the labels 

Energy Rating Labels help you compare the efficiency and running costs of similar appliances.   
   
The star rating of an Energy Rating Label won’t tell you how much an appliance will cost to run – just that it will be cheaper than similar sized models with fewer stars. 

The trick is to look at this along with the annual energy consumption on the label, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The lower this number, the less it will cost you to run – regardless of machine size. 

Energy Rating Labels

Find the right fridge and freezer

The best fridge and freezer on the market will look different for individual households.  

Key things to consider are if it’s the right size for your family’s needs, if you have enough space in your kitchen to allow for an air gap (about 5cm) around the appliance, and the kind of configuration (side-by-side, top/bottom freezer, or standalone) of fridge and freezer that is best for your needs.  

The Gen Less Efficient Appliance Calculator can help you easily compare fridges and freezers in New Zealand.

Efficient appliance calculator

Common questions

Electricity in New Zealand is largely generated by renewable sources like hydro or wind – in an average year, around 80%. However, the remaining 20% is still powered using fossil fuels like coal, diesel, and natural gas. 

Better, more efficient appliances are becoming more available in New Zealand. These better-rated products use less electricity to get those jobs done – costing you less in energy bills.  

On a national scale, they also help to smooth out electricity peaks that make us more likely to tap into fossil fuels to meet electricity demand. By buying a more efficient version of an appliance, you can save money and help reduce New Zealand’s overall emissions too.
You can use some simple tricks to get the most out of your fridge and freezer – and save on your energy bills: 

Cool food before you put it in the fridge. Warm food takes more energy to cool. (Just don’t leave it on the bench so long it becomes a health risk.)

Get what you need, shut the door. Try not to leave the door open longer than you need, or open the door too frequently.

Set the right temperature. Fridges should be 2-4°C and freezers between -15°C and -18°C. You can buy a fridge thermometer to check it.

Check the seal. Close your fridge or freezer on a piece of paper. If it can’t hold the paper firmly, check for wear – it might need replacing.

Easy maintenance. Clean the seal regularly with warm, soapy water. If your appliance doesn’t auto-defrost, remove ice when it starts to build up. If it has coils at the back, wipe/vacuum off dust every year.
Fridges and freezers become inefficient over time, using more electricity and costing you more in running costs. Consider a replacement when your appliance:
- is more than 16 years old (or 20 for a freezer)
- runs continuously to maintain the right temperature
- no longer reaches the right temperature - 2-4°C for a fridge, between -15°C and -18°C for a freezer.
They contain recyclable metals and extremely potent greenhouse gases, so search out a local recycling station that will extract useful components and recover the gas.
In New Zealand, fridges and freezers are one of many energy-using products that are regulated through labelling and energy efficiency performance requirements.  

These regulations mean Kiwis have access to better products on the market – helping them save on energy bills.  

By regulating a range of products for energy efficiency, New Zealanders have saved around $37 million in collective energy costs in the year leading up to March 2024. That’s the equivalent to the annual energy use of 36,600 Kiwi homes! 
Keeping an old fridge or freezer for extra space and storage will most likely cost you money as older models are a lot less energy efficient. If you want to keep the your old fridge or freezer, turn it on only when needed.

If you buy in bulk or consistently store or freeze extra food, consider a backup fridge or freezer that has a high energy-efficiency rating. It will work better and save you money over time.

Fridges and freezers

Buying the best fridge and freezer

How much you can save

Why consider efficiency

Choosing the best configuration

Understanding the labels

Find the right fridge and freezer

Common questions

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