kwani it is how old.

@jaggernaut. When going upcountry, i switched off everything in the hse apart from the fridge. It was on alone for exactly 48 hrs and consumed equivalent of 4 units per 24 hours. Repeated the same several times and got same results. It shows that 45% of my power usage comes from fridge.

@subzero, what is the make and model of your fridge?

We have a Samsung fridge that when turned on, and with the door being opened on average 6 times in 24 hours, contributes Ksh 800-900 to the monthly bill! We went on holiday once, emptied it, and switched it off, and the monthly bill was SUBSTANTIALLY lower.

Could the make and model of the fridge be a contributing factor to high power bills?

mine is samsung as well , have you checked that temperature setting? my is not set to the coldest. and i also think 2.5 units to 3 units per day is still a huge proportion of my electricity bill.

@ali the chopper sound comes from motar vibration due to worn out rubber bushes separating it from the framework. just get a screw driver and fit the bushes. u could cut out old slippers n u r good to go. high power consumption cd be due to worn out fridge rubbers sealants or low freon. commom in old fridges.

Power consumption actually depends on the KW rating of your unit and the amount of food in it, ambient temperature and the number of times you open the door.

I have an LG rated 110W and 135W for the fridge and freezing unit respectively. Assuming its on for 40% of the time, it will consume around 2.3 units every 24 hours.

Off-course Kenyans have a problem with maintaining equipment. All vernaculars I've come across don't have the equivalent of the word maintenance. Some of these things can even be done under DIY and you'll have your fridge back to optimum conditions.

I have never trusted those old ex UK fridges. The owners must have had a reason for disposing them off. I also believe they are based on old technology. Asuming the previous owner used it for 15yrs and you've had it for 7yrs, you can see that your fridge is made using technology that's over 20yrs old. Get yourself a brand new LG or Samsung fridge since they are the current leaders globally in consumer electronics and appliances and they use cutting edge technology in their products. Visit any Nakumatt store to see what's latest in the market.

Now you know why it is consuming too much.

Seriously, though, 120kWh per month is too much - it is more than half my total bill (210kWh). Try the following:

1] Check that the door shuts tightly all the time

2] Defrost regularly

3] Don't set the thermostat to "COLDEST". Put it at about one-third between warmest and coldest.

4] Don't put warm food in the fridge. Leave it out to cool to room temperature first

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THROW AWAY THAT FRIDGE - don't even think about selling it... why pass on the problem to someone else?

A new fridge will easily save you 50kWh per month.... about Sh1,000 off your bill...