For a holiday home used for short stays, a compact fridge may be enough if you don’t leave frozen food behind. To keep frozen food between visits, choose an appliance with a suitable freezer compartment, a fridge-freezer or a separate freezer, depending on how much space you need. If the appliance will stay switched on, compare its usable capacity, stated annual energy consumption and intended ambient temperature range. ADEME points out that fridges and freezers run continuously, and that choosing an oversized appliance or one with more features than you need can increase energy consumption. After an absence, check the condition of the food; a stated power-cut safe time or a local alarm does not guarantee that it has stayed cold.
You mainly need space for fresh food during your stay, without leaving a large area for provisions between visits. ADEME points out that choosing an oversized appliance or one with more features than you need can increase energy consumption.
You want to have frozen food ready when you arrive, so you need to consider freezer capacity and how the appliance will operate while the property is unoccupied. The European Commission lists capacity and whether the appliance has a freezer compartment among the details shown on the energy label.
You regularly use enough fresh and frozen food to consider having two separate storage areas. Bosch Home Appliances France’s product information illustrates the separate fridge and freezer capacities available in a fridge-freezer.
To choose an appliance for a holiday home, start with the food you’ll leave there and how long the appliance will be running while you’re away.
| What matters | What to check before buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity for short stays | Usable fridge capacity; appliance dimensions and available space. | If I’m only staying for a few days and empty the fridge before I leave, I’d prioritise suitable fresh-food capacity over a large amount of storage. Around 31% of consumers prioritise this capacity for short stays. |
| Frozen food between visits | Freezer compartment capacity; the model’s star rating and freezing capacity. | If I want frozen food to be there from one visit to the next, available capacity and keeping food cold are the main priorities. Around 23% of consumers put frozen-food storage first. |
| Fresh and frozen food storage | Usable capacity of each compartment; fridge-freezer dimensions. | For group stays, I need enough separate space for fresh and frozen food. Around 23% of consumers prioritise both types of storage capacity. |
| Running while I’m away | Stated annual energy consumption in kWh; the appliance’s intended ambient temperature range. | If the appliance will stay plugged in during long absences, I want to keep track of its stated energy consumption and check that it’s suitable for the room temperature. Around 23% of consumers prioritise how an appliance performs when the property is unoccupied. |
Just because an appliance has a freezer compartment, that doesn’t tell you how much it holds or how much food the appliance can freeze.
Check the model’s product information for freezer capacity, star rating and freezing capacity to make sure they meet your needs.
ADEME says that a larger appliance or one with more features than you need can increase energy consumption. So unused capacity alone isn’t a good enough reason to choose an appliance.
Work out what you’ll buy and leave at the property, then compare the usable capacities and stated energy consumption of models that meet the same needs.
A stated power-cut safe time applies to a specific model and won’t cover an outage of unknown duration. A visual alarm also relies on someone being there to see it.
If you leave food at the property, check the appliance and food when you return. Don’t treat a local alarm as remote monitoring.
The climate class tells you the ambient temperatures the model is designed for. Bosch Home Appliances France says that fridge-freezers are intended to operate within certain temperature ranges.
Compare the range stated for the model with the temperatures the room could reach, rather than assuming it will be suitable just because the property is in France.
The models listed by Bosch Home Appliances France show several configurations: a compact fridge without a freezer compartment, one with a freezer compartment, and a fridge-freezer.
The KTe551 is an example of a compact fridge with a freezer compartment.
The WHFF 6403 W4E upright freezer is a high-capacity option for storing frozen food.
The COT1S45EW is an example of a static compact fridge from the range shown by Candy France.
This selection includes compact fridges for short stays, as well as fridge-freezers if you want to store both fresh and frozen food. Check the capacity of each compartment to make sure it suits the provisions you plan to keep.
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Ideal for short stays when you mainly need to keep fresh food chilled.
82 L; E energy rating; stated energy consumption of 84 kWh/year; adjustable shelves; no freezer compartment.
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Worth considering if you want to store fresh and frozen food separately between visits.
115 L fridge capacity and 59 L freezer capacity; four-star compartment; Low Frost technology reduces frost build-up but doesn’t eliminate the need for manual defrosting.
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Could suit a small space if you want fresh-food storage alongside a limited amount of frozen food.
92 L; E energy rating; reversible door and adjustable shelves. Check the model’s product information for the freezer compartment capacity.
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Consider this if you need two separate storage areas during your stays.
153 L fridge capacity and 74 L freezer capacity; four-star freezing; stated width of 54 cm; reversible door. Low Frost reduces frost build-up but doesn’t eliminate the need for manual defrosting.
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Suitable for small amounts of fresh food and very limited freezer space.
45 L total capacity, including 42 L of fridge space and a 3 L freezer compartment; mechanical controls.
Compare the kWh/year figures on the energy labels of models that meet the same storage needs, then consider how long the appliance will actually be running. ADEME points out that fridges and freezers run continuously when switched on. The stated annual figure alone won’t tell you how much you could save in pounds if you use the appliance intermittently.
No. Check the model’s climate class and intended ambient temperature range, then compare them with the room conditions while you’re away. Bosch Home Appliances France says that fridge-freezers are designed to operate within certain temperature ranges.
Check the temperature and condition of the food before eating it. Anses recommends keeping the temperature between 0 and +4 °C in the coldest part of the fridge, and reminds consumers not to eat food after its use-by date. If there may have been a power cut of unknown duration, don’t assume the food has been kept safely.
Since 1 March 2021, the EU energy label for household fridges and freezers has used a scale from A to G and includes details such as energy consumption, capacity and noise level, according to the European Commission. The French Ministry of the Economy and Finance states that the legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a business to an individual. If you’re replacing an appliance, also ask the retailer how to arrange collection of the old one.