anyone ever put food outside and unplug their refrigerator to save money?

Question

(in a cold climate, of course)

Answer 1

I live in the Yukon. Many up here live "off grid," where there is no power. So, they do leave food where it is cold. But, there are animals, and especially birds (ravens) that will get the food. Most will have a storage box of some kind.



However, compared the costs for heating a house up here, a refrigerator costs very little to run. And, the heat they give off actually helps warm the houses.

Answer 2

I know of many people who use an uninsulated and unheated enclosed porch for additional short term holiday storage of food.



Outside and long term food would be subject to predation, scavengers and weather variations. Many years ago there was such a thing as a window box that was put in a window in the winter as a cold food storage. With a bit of thermal storage such a box would be better at keeping a constant temperature and could more easily replace a refrigerator.

Answer 3

When I grew up, We didn't have refrigerators. We wouldn't put our food out in the raw cold as most of it would be destroyed. We used a spare room that was unheated to preserve our food. We would butcher close winter to take advantage of this. Others who had more money would smoke their meat in order preserve their food. Then in town there was a locker that you could store your extra beef or pork. Chickens were no problem, since you could butcher and eat almost immediately.



Now days, in city life, that would be impractical. People would steal your food. Your food, such as vegetables would possibly be destroyed due to the wrong temperature. You are not allowed to have gardens in many cases. In most cases you would consume more energy to replace stolen or spoiled food that it takes to preserve it.



It is a nice thought, but it is unneeded and impractical for today's urban life. For if you went to all the trouble to do that, the government would still insist you were not doing enough.

Answer 4

I'm sure someone has, at *some* point. But I doubt very may people have, and I'm not even sure that it would really save money, at least not for foods you eat regularly rather than things that are in long-term storage.



Consider: any energy used to cool food in your refrigerator will at least slightly reduce how much you need to heat your house. And if you have to go outside to get your food, that means you have to open the door, and lose some of the heat you put into your house. So unless you don't heat your house, you likely lose more energy re-heating your house after you go outside for your food than you save from not having your fridge plugged in. Plus the inconvenience and discomfort of having to go out in the cold every time you want some milk or whatever, plus the risk that an unexpected warm spell will thaw your frozen things, or an unexpected cold spell will freeze your non-frozen things, or the like.



Personally, I live in Arizona, so...

Answer 5

I understand of numerous individuals who make use of a good uninsulated as well as unheated surrounded patio with regard to extra temporary vacation storage space associated with meals.



Outdoors as well as long-term meals will be susceptible to predation, scavengers as well as climate variants. Several years back there is this type of point like a eye-port container which was place in the eye-port within the winter season like a chilly meals storage space. Along with a little bit of energy storage space this type of container will be much better from maintaining a continuing heat and may easier substitute the fridge.

Answer 6

Probably, but may be not intelligently.

If you have electric heat, the refrigerator is no more extra expense.

So buy warm beer, and don't bring anything cold into the house. The energy used by the fridge to pump out the heat from the beer is the same cost as your central heat. The energy pumped from the beer is free. ( but pee into a bucket to save until the pee comes down to room temp.



With cheap wood fired heat, maybe, maybe not, depending on the efficiency and cost of the fridge acting like a heat pump.

Answer 7

NO. I once ran a experiment to see if I could drop the power bill from $500 a month. I found that if no power strips were used in garage or house. I found my power bill dropped $300 & my bill at that time was $200. Mike

Answer 8

I never unplugged fridge but I frequently store food outside during the winter.

Answer 9

Legend has it that Francis Bacon contracted pneumonia and died while experimenting with snow to preserve food.

Answer 10

Sure , had some of the fattest racoons I've ever seen by that spring.

Answer 11

yes

Answer 12

yeah many times I did, And my mom gets angry at me, actually she pissed! but have to do to save the money!