Operating 24/7, 365 days a year, refrigerators and freezers consume the most power of any appliance in the average household. Choosing an A+, A++, or A+++ energy class appliance will considerably reduce both power consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The latest freestanding and built-in refrigerators and freezers of the A+++ energy class, presented by Gorenje, owe their efficiency to some remarkable technological improvements: improved insulation systems, innovative solutions in system components, and highly-efficient compressors combine to reduce power consumption to a minimum.

The majority of refrigerators and freezers currently rank in the A+ and A++ energy class. Appliances of the most efficient, A+++ energy class, which offer users power savings of up to 60 percent over the A energy class, are scheduled for this year.

The most wasteful appliances today are those manufactured ten years ago and earlier. These can consume up to 65 percent more power than new models. Gorenje's study of annual power consumption has shown that an average Gorenje appliance from 1995 consumes about 400 kWh per year; appliances from 2000 consume 320 kWh; from 2005 about 240 kWh; and appliances currently produced only consume 170 kWh per year. Given the fact that 40 percent of power consumed in households is used by home appliances, it’s very important to use those that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Moreover, the fact that power rates are almost constantly on the rise is another reason to consider organising our households in a manner that is economical and responsible to the environment in which we live.

Additional savings are made possible by numerous functions like the economy program, holiday program, and the rapid cooling program recommended after major shopping trips. Today’s contemporary consumer living the fast life will also appreciate the simplicity of use and the functional design that provides high-quality food storage and saves some time. One such function is undoubtedly the NO FROST system, which prevents accumulation of frost and ice in the freezer, allowing for optimal use of space and thus saving power.

Furthermore, there’s a lot we can do ourselves. For example, we can make sure the temperature in the refrigerator is at an optimum of about 4 °C, and avoid opening the refrigerator door too often in order to reduce escape of cool air. We should also make sure that only dried and cooled food is stored in the refrigerator and the freezer, in order to prevent the formation of ice which increases power consumption.

One thing to note when choosing a new refrigerator or freezer is the energy efficiency which is indicated by the manufacturers using designated energy classes. Power-efficient Gorenje appliances are additionally labelled with the green Gorenje ECO CARE label.

Hence, offering technologically advanced and environmentally friendly products is one way in which manufacturers team up with customers to preserve the environment for generations to come.

In the past decade, technological development of home appliances saw remarkably fast progress, bringing numerous innovations including some that lead to substantial energy savings. Power consumption was thus more than halved which has contributed to lower carbon dioxide emissions and lower costs. Parallel to the rapid technological development, user conduct and needs are also increasingly changing as consumers act more responsibly with respect to the environment and look for environmentally friendly products.

Ecology is among Gorenje Group's key strategic activities. Consistently with the principles of sustainable development, environment protection is integrated in all corporate processes and decisions. New products are planned consistently with the requirements of environmental design which comprises the entire life cycle of a product, ranging from development, through manufacturing and use, to waste handling following the expiry of the product's useful life. In the development stage, up to 80 percent of the product's effects on the environment during its life cycle are determined. Any negative environmental effects are mitigated by the choice of materials and components to meet the most stringent environmental standards, by environmentally friendly manufacturing, by designing environmentally friendly products, and by responsible waste management. Choice of materials includes the use of ecologically soundest materials that allow simple disassembly and recycling after the end of the appliance's useful life. This involves using as few different types of plastics as possible, and as many standard elements as possible. Environmental effect also depends on the manner and frequency of use of the product. Activating special appliance functions can lead to additional power savings. Gorenje home appliances are built in a manner that allows fast and simple disassembly and they are made of at least 90 percent recyclable materials and components which can be reused in various subsequent production processes.

Aware of the fact that 40 percent of electricity consumed by households is used to power home appliances, Gorenje has been focused on development of energy efficient and economical equipment. The most recent washing machine models used 17 percent less power and 13 percent less water per washing cycle compared to the appliances manufactured ten years ago; power consumption is up to 60 percent lower than ten years ago in refrigerators and freezers, and up to 25 percent lower in ovens.

Constant improvements in power consumption of major appliances resulted in the last five years in the need for a revised standardization of appliance energy efficiency since the A energy class has become too low for the newly attained efficiency ratings. Inadequacy of the existing standards was resolved by adding extra signs to the A class, leading to A+, ++, or even +++ classes. On December 20th 2010, the new official European energy label was adopted which introduces universal communication through pictograms. The labels are effective for refrigeration appliances, washing machines, dishwashers, and TV sets, while other home appliances will follow soon. Gorenje's extra power efficient home appliances are additionally labelled in the stores with the green Gorenje ECO CARE label.