During this time of extraordinary inflation and the rising energy crisis, it's more important now than ever before to tamp down on unnecessary electricity bills. One TikToker shows off a fast, easy way to see if your fridge is wasting your money by using a bill as a seal-checker.
The scoop
In her video, TikToker Moneymum (@moneymomofficial) shows off the technique by explaining, "Get yourself a note or a piece of paper, open the fridge door, and shut it," essentially closing the door on the bill. Then, give it a few tugs.
@moneymumofficial This is a simple hack like and save this reel tag a friend! It's a Simple job to fix and there are videos online of how to do it yourself. But check yours and see if your wasting energy A worn or broken seal means the refrigerator will lose cold air, even when the door is closed. This increases the workload on your compressor, which can shorten the lifespan of your refrigeration equipment and increase the electricity bill. #moneytalks #wastingenergy #saveenvironment #fridgegoals ♬ So You Can Keep Me - Irvan Ardi
If it offers some resistance, your fridge seal is working properly. If it slides out with almost no effort at all, or if it immediately falls out when the door is closed, then it's time for a new seal.
"You could be losing energy or wasting money," the TikToker adds.
How's it helping?
For most people, auditing their various electronics and appliances for unnecessary energy consumption sounds like a complicated task. Checking meters, testing outputs, and comparing months of utility bills can be extremely tedious and involved.
This hack, however, is extremely simple. Anyone can find a note or a piece of paper to use, and the test results are easy to understand and act upon.
Not only that — but by replacing your fridge seal, you'll also help out your city's energy grid by lessening your individual strain on the system. Much of our power still comes from dirty coal and gas, and by lowering your individual energy demand (even by a little bit), less polluting gases will wind up in the atmosphere, a positive for our already overheating planet.
A more subtle but definitely important consequence of ensuring your fridge seal is working properly is that your food will last longer. There's a good chance that even if your fridge is working harder to compensate for the cold air that's seeping through the failed seal, it may never actually achieve the optimal operating temperature regardless. So despite your fridge working harder to produce more cold air, your perishables won't be kept as fresh for it.
Keep your food fresh and edible for as long as possible, and save some money on your energy bill to boot by testing your fridge seal and replacing it if necessary.
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