Wednesday 15 October 2014

Chilling message to cut fridges’ energy waste

High street supermarkets have been sternly rebuked for not “closing the door” on open refrigerator units.

A new report called “The Chilling Facts” points to feedback from retailers that adding doors can lead to energy savings of about 33%.

Slamming “near-Arctic conditions” in shopping aisles, the campaign group Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) said the take-up of climate-friendly fridges by supermarket chains is spreading “faster and more widely than ever”.

However it wants slow-movers to change their ways.

EIA Senior Climate Campaigner and lead author Fionnuala Walravens said: “Those companies reluctant to make the move claim doors would significantly reduce impulse buying but the evidence from retailers who have introduced doors refutes this - in fact, there’s even testimony that having doors in place reduces shoplifting!”

The EIA is a NGO working to stamp out climate-harmful refrigerants such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which are used in fridges, air-conditioning, fire protection, aerosols and foams.