Refrigerator Electricity Cost Calculator
A refrigerator never switches off, so even a small draw adds up. Enter the kWh figure from the yellow EnergyGuide label, or use a preset, to see the real monthly cost.
Refrigerator running cost
Estimated cost per month
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Estimates use your rate × energy used. Real bills add fixed fees and taxes, and appliances that cycle (fridges, AC) vary with weather and use.
Why a fridge is different from a heater
Most appliances are easy: look up the watts, multiply by hours. A refrigerator breaks that rule in two ways. It runs 24 hours a day, so there are no "hours of use" to enter. And its power draw swings constantly. The compressor kicks on at 500 to 700 W for a second, settles to 100 to 200 W while it runs, then shuts off for most of an hour. The lights, defrost heater and fans add short bursts on top.
That is why the number on the back of the fridge is nearly useless for estimating cost, and why the yellow EnergyGuide label exists. It states the estimated kWh per year measured under a standard test. Switch the calculator to "I know the kWh" mode, type that figure, and you get a far better estimate than any wattage could give you. If you have lost the label, the model number on a sticker inside the door usually pulls up the ENERGY STAR listing with the same figure.
The presets on this page take a different route: they use an average wattage over 24 hours (60 W for a modern fridge, 150 W for an old one), which gives the same answer as the kWh method for a typical unit.
What refrigerators and freezers typically cost
All figures use the U.S. average residential rate of 18.34¢ per kWh (June 2026, EIA). Rates in your state may be anywhere from 13¢ to 53¢.
| Appliance | kWh / year | Cost / month | Cost / year |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENERGY STAR top-freezer, 18 cu ft | 350 | $5.35 | $64.19 |
| Modern French door, 25 cu ft | 550 | $8.41 | $101 |
| Side-by-side with ice and water | 650 | $9.93 | $119 |
| Typical 2005–2015 fridge | 750 | $11.46 | $138 |
| 1990s fridge or garage fridge | 1,200 | $18.34 | $220 |
| Mini fridge, 3–4 cu ft | 250 | $3.82 | $45.85 |
| Chest freezer, 15 cu ft | 320 | $4.89 | $58.69 |
| Upright freezer, 16 cu ft | 420 | $6.42 | $77.03 |
| Wine fridge, 30 bottle | 300 | $4.58 | $55.02 |
The spread is the story. A new fridge is one of the cheapest large appliances to run, roughly the cost of a couple of coffees a month. An old one in a hot garage can quietly cost more than your dishwasher, dryer and TV combined.
Should you replace an old refrigerator?
This is one of the few appliance decisions where the math is clean enough to trust. Compare the kWh per year of the old unit (measure it with a plug-in meter for a week, or use 1,000 to 1,400 kWh for a pre-2000 model) with the label figure of the replacement, multiply the difference by your rate, and divide the price of the new fridge by the annual saving.
Example: a 1,200 kWh/year garage fridge replaced with a 400 kWh/year model saves 800 kWh, or $147 a year at 18.34¢. A $650 replacement pays back in about 4.4 years. In a 30¢ state the payback drops to about 2.7 years.
Two caveats. If the old fridge is a second, mostly empty "beer fridge," the cheapest fix is to unplug it, not replace it. And many utilities run appliance recycling programs that pay $25 to $75 to haul away a working old refrigerator, which improves the math further.
Small things that change the number
- Location. Every 10°F of ambient temperature above 70°F raises a fridge's energy use by roughly 20 to 25%. A garage fridge in a 95°F summer garage is doing far more work than the same unit in the kitchen.
- Temperature settings. 37°F for the fresh food compartment and 0°F for the freezer is cold enough for food safety. Each degree colder adds a few percent.
- Door seals. Close the door on a piece of paper; if it slides out easily, the gasket is leaking and the compressor is running to make up for it.
- Coils and clearance. Dust on the condenser coils and a fridge pushed hard against the wall both trap heat. Vacuum the coils and leave a couple of inches behind the unit.
- Ice makers and door dispensers. Through-the-door ice and water adds 100 kWh or more a year because of the extra insulation gap and the heater that stops the chute from frosting.
To see how the fridge compares with everything else in the house, use the main electricity cost calculator or browse the appliance wattage chart.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a refrigerator use per month?
A modern 18 to 22 cubic foot refrigerator uses about 400 to 600 kWh a year, which works out to 35 to 50 kWh a month. At the U.S. average rate of 18.34¢ per kWh that is roughly $6 to $9 a month. Older models from before 2005, and most garage fridges, use two to three times as much.
Why does my fridge say 700 watts on the label but use much less?
The label lists the maximum draw, which happens for a few seconds when the compressor starts. Once running, a typical compressor draws 100 to 200 W, and it only runs about a third of the time. Averaged over a day, the fridge draws closer to 50 to 70 W. That is why the kWh-per-year figure on the EnergyGuide label is the number to use.
How much does an old refrigerator cost to run?
A refrigerator made before 2000 commonly uses 1,000 to 1,400 kWh a year, costing $15 to $21 a month at the national average rate, or $180 to $260 a year. Replacing it with an ENERGY STAR model using 400 kWh a year saves roughly $130 to $180 a year, so a $700 fridge pays for itself in four to five years.
Does a mini fridge use a lot of electricity?
Less than a full-size fridge, but more than its size suggests. Most mini fridges use 200 to 300 kWh a year, about $3 to $4.50 a month, because small compressors are less efficient and the insulation is thin. A mini fridge in a warm garage or next to an oven can use double that.
Is it cheaper to run a chest freezer or an upright freezer?
A chest freezer of the same capacity usually uses 10 to 25% less electricity. Cold air is heavier than warm air, so opening a chest freezer spills very little of it, while opening an upright lets the cold air fall out the door. A 15 cubic foot chest freezer typically uses 300 to 350 kWh a year, about $5 a month.
How do I make my refrigerator use less electricity?
Set the fridge to 37 to 40°F and the freezer to 0°F, keep the door seals clean and tight, leave a gap behind the unit for airflow, and vacuum the coils once or twice a year. Keep it reasonably full so the thermal mass holds temperature, but not so packed that air cannot circulate. Moving a fridge out of a hot garage into a cool basement can cut its use by a third.