Fridges using ice that are Off the Grid will no longer drain power.
Fixed in Patch 1.105.297/1.87
Please create a new thread if you're still experiencing this issue,
EA StaffHello.
For anyone encountering this issue:
Does the off-the-grid fridge have ice in it?
I heard they're only supposed to work as off-the-grid fridges if they have ice in them; otherwise they function as normal fridges.
Yes I always have ice in my off-the-grid fridges...I don't expect that to make a real difference in power consumption though (particularly when already unplugged, and still getting power bills :P)
In hindsight, The Icebox that ships with EL EP isn't very efficient, I've had better success with OTG Fridges from the newer "Country Living" EP. Still, this is a very complex bug/issue, and it has deep ties to other symbiotically linked phenomena, such as the recently "fixed" billing of OTG Power/water, and notifications overload. I wouldn't be surprised if it's some underlying issue causing all of these things, but to be perfectly fair, I have no proof.
I think it's an oversight, the off-the-grid fridge should not start draining power just because you generate some. It would be nice to have a "disable utility usage" for the fridge, like we have for toilets, bathtubs, sinks...It consumes power even when at 100% ice. It drains power by default instead of only when out of ice.
It was annoying before but now after cottage living with so many players doing off-the-grid games it's even more important to release a fix for this, I think.
I saved my game, exited Sims 4, and returned. The fridge and stove now offer the ability to turn off utility use. HOWEVER I still have power drain. I am eliminating my different candles in turn to figure out if any of them are the issue, because I am running out of options.
