Will Putting Ice in a Freezer Conserve Energy in the Refrigerator?

Ice Bags

• Adding a couple of 5-pound bags of ice to your freezer will take up a lot of space and contribute to your conservation efforts. The strategy is an excellent idea if most of the space in your freezer is unused. Empty space in the freezer and the main compartment causes the refrigerator to work harder to maintain temperature settings. The more ice or frozen items you can add to your freezer the better, as long as you do not block air circulation in the freezer. Poor circulation also could cause the refrigerator to work harder.

Water Bottles

• Other methods also are available to help your freezer operate more efficiently. The California Energy Commission recommends placing water-filled containers in your refrigerator if it is nearly empty. Do the same with your freezer by filling one-gallon plastic jugs with water. Place a few of the jugs at the rear of the freezer while filling up the rest of the space with food items.

Consolidation

• Getting rid of a refrigerator in the garage is an even better option for conserving energy. Some people decide to keep their old refrigerator after buying a new one, which may lead to operating two refrigerators that are each less than full. Having the second refrigerator doubles energy costs for home refrigeration. An immediate cost savings is possible in that situation by selling the second refrigerator and filling the remaining refrigerator completely.

Settings

• Keep your refrigerator temperature setting at 38 degrees once you add ice to the freezer, and also fill the main compartment with food items or liquids. Under normal use refrigerator temperature settings should be kept between 35 and 38 degrees. By organizing your refrigerator and freezer more efficiently, you should be able to increase the temperature to the high end of that scale and save money in the process.