Why does electricity bill increase by repeatedly opening the refrigerator door?

Be it summer or winter, the most important appliance in our kitchen is the refrigerator. To ensure that milk does not spoil, vegetables remain fresh and cold water is available, we open the refrigerator door several times a day. But the elders in the house often interrupt, ‘Don’t open the fridge door again and again, the electricity bill will increase.’

Many people think that this is said just for the sake of explanation, but there is a strong scientific reason behind it. Let us understand in simple language why electricity bill increases by repeatedly opening the refrigerator door.

Why does opening the refrigerator door repeatedly increase the bill? The cold air inside comes out – the air inside the fridge is cold and the air in the room is hot. As soon as you open the door, cold air goes out and hot air goes in. Due to this the internal temperature of the refrigerator increases.

The compressor has to work harder – There is a compressor in the fridge, which keeps the inside temperature cool to a fixed level (like 4°C). When the temperature rises, the compressor starts again and cools it again. If you open the door frequently, the compressor will have to run again and again and for longer periods of time.

Electricity consumption increases – Compressor is the most electricity consuming part of the refrigerator. The longer it runs, the more electricity it will consume.

It is believed that if the refrigerator door is left open for just 30 seconds, it may take 30-45 minutes more effort to bring the internal temperature back to normal. Imagine, if this happens 20-30 times a day, the electricity bill is sure to increase.

Moisture and freezing – When hot air goes in, moisture also comes with it. This moisture can freeze as ice on the coils of the refrigerator. Due to accumulation of too much ice, the coldness of the refrigerator reduces and the machine has to work harder.