In many households around the world, the ‘fridge’ is thought of as being essential. But I can remember when we didn’t have one, and we survived!

Lifestyles have changed since I was a child. Some families – particularly families with babies and young children – can’t do very well without a refrigerator nowadays. But for me, a refrigerator is  an unnecessary luxury.

If you don’t have children, or they have flown the nest, you might find that pulling the plug on your refrigerator, and making a few adjustments to what food you buy, is in fact quite liberating.

The cost of running a refrigerator can be high. For most households, refrigerators are second only to air-conditioning when it comes to cost. And because electricity mostly comes from burning fossil fuels, refrigerators are costing the earth too.