On The Money

Andy Webb

Q: Do you think it is worth buying a good second-hand fridge to replace the one that came with my house? It is icing up all the time, I have checked out all the self-help videos to no avail. It is a very old appliance and presumably with the fault, and age is wasting electricity. I am obviously looking for ways to reduce my energy bills as much as possible. -Betty

This is a really interesting question, especially right now, when energy usage is at the front of all our minds.

There are a few factors you need to work out. First, what is the energy efficiency rating of the current fridge and any replacement you find? “A” might sound good but it isn’t actually the best. Even A+ or A++ aren’t top. It actually goes up to A+++.

Then you’d need to see what the estimated costs were for each one. The differences aren’t huge. For example, an average A rated fridge freezer will probably cost £76 a year to run, while a

A+++ one is £38. Half

price is a decent saving, but you next need to factor in the upfront cost. That means if you paid £380 for a new freezer, it’d take ten years to break even.

Hopefully you’d get something for less, shortening the time taken to recoup the costs, and as you say, if the one in your home is not working properly, it could be costing even more. That could be enough justification to take the plunge now. But if your worries about money are how much you have right now, it might be better to hold off and look again if energy prices drop (though it’s incredibly likely they will go up even more in October).