Refrigerators and other white goods have a finite life span but a lot of us are hesitant to upgrade our appliances because of the cost involved. But what if keeping your old refrigerator is costing you more money in the long run?

If you detect faults with your refrigerator such as decayed and leaking door seals, noises and rattling from the rear or reduced chill factor, it’s a sure sign that your refrigerator needs to be either repaired or replaced. You may be unsure as to whether it will be better to call in a repair person or head out and buy a new appliance. The answer to this depends upon a few factors.

Refrigeration repair can be expensive – particularly if it is and old appliance and its worn out parts are hard to replace. Even so, due to the age of the refrigerator, you have no guaranteed long term solution to the problems. If you wish to investigate the option of repairing your old fridge, a refrigeration repairer will be the best person to advise you but be aware that this service may end up costing you almost as much as it may to purchase a new refrigerator.

If your current fridge is around ten years old, a new model with an energy star rating will certainly be more efficient for you to run, saving on your electricity bill and also reducing your household carbon emissions. Today’s refrigerators use much less energy than old ones and represent better value for money in the long run. All new refrigerators are required to minimise environmental harm and must pass industry standards before achieving their energy rating so before you opt to repair your old fridge, consider its impact on your energy use.