What appliances are switched on and functioning all the time in your home? Only two spring to mind (unless you leave your TV or sound system blasting out 24/7). That will be the central heating/air conditioning and the fridge freezer. After central heating, domestic cooling appliances are the biggest contributor to your energy bill because they’re left switched on round the clock. They account for approximately 20% of the electricity consumed by all of the domestic appliances in your home. That’s something to stop and make you think…

Time was when no-one really cared much about the efficiency of fridges, but with governments and communities all going green and trying to reduce the carbon footprint, manufacturers have been racing to produce the most efficient white appliances.

All fridge freezers have EU energy labels. These range from the obscene power hungry eco-unfriendly G rating, to the ultra-efficient A+++. However efficient running isn’t always paired with cheaper running. Recent tests have shown that even in the same energy ratings, the actual cost of running an fridge-freezer can vary a lot.

But there is something that is often forgotten. A fridge freezer that has a top energy label and low running costs won’t save you money if it breaks down after a couple of years. The costs involved in repairing it or replacing it will likely outweigh the energy-savings benefits. So reliability is an important factor.

Here we look at a new A+++ fridge freezer that has got good reviews in terms of reliability and novel features. It is from LG Electronics (LG).
The LG GB7143AESF delivers A+++ efficiency using their Linear Compressor technology. The compressor is one of the most important components in a refrigerator’s operation, accounting for about 80% of a refrigerator’s total energy consumption. LG has undertaken a redesign of the compressor and engineered one with fewer parts to make the Linear Compressor more energy efficient, extremely quiet, optimise freshness and increase reliability. In fact all their cooling products that have this feature will carry a 10 Year Parts Warranty on the motor.

To help keep food fresher for longer, LG’s Moist Balance Crisper should ensure that you can wave ta-ta to limp lettuce and soggy cucumber forever!
The Dual Tower LED lighting to the fridge, powered by LG’s own energy-efficient LED emits a superb white light so you’ll always be able to see into the far corners of the fridge. Of course a further benefit to using LEDs to illuminate the fridge is that no heat is given off from LED lighting, therefore it is not working against the cooling process as was traditional fridge lighting, delivering improved efficiency.
Available from July 2012, the GB7143AESF comes with the increasingly popular brushed steel finish. It retails at about £1100.

Other manufacturers are producing A+++ fridge freezers such as Bosch, Siemens, Samsung and Smeg. Also well worth a look is the ultra-stylish PANASONIC NR-B32FX2-XB.

While most of us would settle for a relatively conventional new fridge or fridge-freezer to grace our kitchen or utility room, other people want something with more vim and vigour. Something eye-catching and original. Something that combines “white” technology with art and culture. Here are some examples of appliances with defiances!:

If you’re a supporter of Arsenal Football Club, then this specially made fridge is for you. It’s made by Indesit and is a one-off. In fact money can’t buy one of these- the only way you can gat your hands on this beauty is by entering a competition on Arsenal Football Club’s web page.

As a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, I think I’ll give it a miss….
While we’re on the red, here’s a red fridge that’s nothing to do with a Football Club. It’s a top of the range SMEG appliance that oozes style, quality… and redness! It doesn’t come cheap though, wading in at an eye-watering £1200 plus! But the specs are eye-watering too. It’s a freestanding retro designed fridge freezer- 60cm wide and 179cm tall. It has an A+ energy efficiency rating and boasts an impressive total capacity of 308 litres. That’s enough not just for a large family, but a small business community!

Now here’s one which is going to make you scratch your head. It’s a zero energy bio energy fridge that was one of 25 finalists in the Electrolux Design Lab competition, which challenged entrants with the task of redesigning modern appliances for the future.
The entry here is a groundbreaking attempt to rethink the ubiquitous refrigerator — which has seen few design changes since the invention of the firsdt refrigerators in the 1930′s. Russian designer Yuriy Dmitriev proposed a gel-filled appliance of the future. His Bio Robot Refrigerator utilizes a special gel-like substance that suspends and cools food once the food is inserted.

The Bio Robot Refrigerator mounts on a wall or even on the ceiling. The fridge does not have a motor or other traditional technology like most refrigerators, it’s all gel so 90% of the appliance is actual usable space. To use it is easy- you basically shove food into it’s biopolymer gel — which has no odor and is not sticky — and it is suspended and cooled until you need it again. Whether the gunk-on-the-wall fridge is going to catch on is doubtful.. maybe because the technology is still not totally tested, and maybe because we are all programmed to like fridge-shaped fridges. Change is frightening. And the likelihood is that the kids will use the thing for target preactice, throwing apples at it to see who can form words, like some organic bio fridge magnet. Without magnetism. File under bizarre, I think!

Another Smeg fridge- this is for the most patritic among us- especially following Team GB’s success in the London 2012 Olympics. The trouble is you’ll be expected to salute it everytime you go to it to crack open a beer!

This is my favourite design, from Electrolux- a Flat-share fridge. Having shared accommodation, everyone using the same fridge can be a right old pain in the egg boxes. People taker your milk, people leave smelly cheeses and worse in the fridge, and no-one seems to be able to take the time to store the food in the most sensible manner and make best use of the space. This jigsaw type set of four mini fridges allows each flat-sharer to have their own dedicated section. No more disputes! Brilliant!

Finally, just to show that am at heart a traditionalist- here’s my favourite- a pretty sensible Panasonic fridge-freezer sorry, but I just feel comfortable with the tried and tested design, albeit packed inside with the latest technology including A++ efficiency: And yes, I know it’s white, but I like white!