French-door folly

Our energy-usage tests are tougher than the Department of Energy's and better resemble how you use a refrigerator. That's how we found that seven use much more energy than you would expect from the EnergyGuide label for each model, which estimates annual electricity use.

These seven models are French-door refrigerators with water/ice dispensers on the door: the LG LFX25971, LMX21981, and LMX25981; the Samsung RF267AB and RF297AA; the Kenmore Elite 7875 (made by LG); and the GE Profile PFSF6PKX (made by Samsung). For example, our more demanding tests found the LG LMX21981 will use more than twice the energy labeled, and cost $140 per year to operate.

In the DOE's tests, the icemaker is turned off. However, in the LG-made models, that move shuts off cooling to the ice zone, allowing the ice to melt. That might largely explain the energy differences for LG-made models. But that's not how we think most people would use them.