Refrigerators are real power guzzlers, as they are in use 24/7 and year after year. Problem for us consumers: The older the refrigerator, the more electricity it usually consumes – and that with constantly rising electricity prices. On the other hand, manufacturers are bringing more and more energy-efficient devices onto the market. At some point, regardless of any climate protection reasons, the point will be reached where it makes financial sense to replace the old refrigerator model with a new, low-energy model.
But if you are thinking of finally replacing your power-guzzling old device with a new, energy-saving model, you have to deal with all sorts of questions: Should it be a large refrigerator or will a smaller model suffice? Which is better: a built-in unit or a free-standing one? Does it need a fridge freezer or would a separate freezer be better?
Are you looking for specific product recommendations? Stiftung Warentest had 20 free-standing devices (eleven large and nine smaller models) in the test laboratory last year (02/2020). Four models of the large refrigerators achieved the overall rating of “very good”. The test results for the small refrigerators were less pleasing. The test winner among the refrigeration giants, which were up to 1.90 meters high, was the KSV36AI4P model from Bosch, while the Bomann VS 2195 model performed best among the devices up to 85 centimeters high.