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A well-known trick to making your fridge and freezer more efficient is to fill it to capacity. But what if you just don't have enough food to fill your freezer? There are a few handy non-food items you can use to take up space in your freezer so that it is more energy efficient.
Why Filling Your Freezer Helps With Energy Efficiency
Each time you open your freezer, cold air escapes and warm air flows in. The majority of the energy your freezer uses goes towards cooling down the air that comes in when you open the freezer door. When your freezer is full, there is less room for warmer air to take up, and the items that are in there help to cool down any air that does sneak in. So keeping it full means less energy used.
What to Use to Fill Your Freezer for Energy Efficiency
- Newspaper: You can move food items towards the outer sides of your freezer and stuff the interior spaces with newspaper.
- Bags of shipping peanuts: These take up lots of room in mostly empty freezers, and the bags can be molded to fit the spaces.
- Ziplock bags filled with water: Not only will this help with energy efficiency, but you'll also have ice on hand to keep your food cold if there's a power loss.
- Reusable plastic to-go containers filled with water: These stack up like building blocks, and are easy to take in and out, and use for small gaps in your stocked fridge.
- Milk jugs filled with water: If you'd like to reuse, instead of recycle, your milk jugs, this is a great use for them.
How to Fill Your Freezer for Energy Efficiency
- Defrost and dry your freezer.
- Move what food items you have towards the front and sides so that you can quickly grab them when you need them.
- Fill interior central cavity with the non-food item of your choice.
- Be sure to leave air space around the edges and top so your freezer's thermostat can sense the temperature.
More Ways to Make Your Refrigerator and Freezer Energy Efficient:
Get Better Efficiency from Your Empty Refrigerator
TreeHugger Tip: Tomm Stanley on Refrigerator Efficiency
Buy Green: Bottom Freezer Refrigerators
5 Easy Ways To Green Your Fridge
Got a tip or a post idea for us to write about on Planet Green? Email pgtips (at) treehugger (dot) com.
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