If you're trying to reduce your electricity bill, storing cold energy in your refrigerator can help. It costs practically nothing to get started, and you can use recycled materials in the process.
We all know that we can store electricity in batteries. However, storing cold is a much cheaper and more efficient way to save energy. When you have lots of empty space in your refrigerator, it must work that much harder to keep your food cold. Every time you open the refrigerator door, cold air escapes and the food gets warmer. However, a well-stocked refrigerator uses far less electricity than one that's nearly empty.
The average refrigerator costs about $25 per month to run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Going out and buying a new energy-efficient refrigerator isn't an option for most people in these difficult economic times. If you use eco-friendly methods to store cold inside the refrigerator, you could reduce your electricity use and save a few dollars effortlessly every single month. This is because liquids and solids such as water and ice are much more effective at storing cold energy than air. When you open your refrigerator door, the cold escapes much more slowly.
To start saving on the electricity that your refrigerator uses, you'll need to gather some cheap materials. If you buy milk, water or vinegar in gallon bottles, you can recycle the bottles to store cold energy in the refrigerator. However, if you have smaller plastic bottles, these can be very effective for filling up small gaps of unused space inside the refrigerator and freezer.
If you like, you could also get some inexpensive gel-filled ice packs to fill in small areas of empty space. These ice packs are generally available at your local dollar store or supermarket for low prices. If you're using bottles, rinse them out and then fill them with water. This method is very similar to keeping the refrigerator as full of food as possible, but it's easier and less expensive. When the refrigerator door is opened, less cold energy will be wasted because the cold is being stored in water rather than in air. Also, your food will stay cold longer in the event that the electric power fails. If you need the space to store food again, simply remove the cold pack from the refrigerator.