How much does it cost to run a refrigerator?

A refrigerator's running cost is its yearly energy use times your electricity price. The yellow EnergyGuide label and the EPA's ENERGY STAR data give the yearly energy use in kWh from a standard test.

Yearly cost = kWh per year × price per kWh. At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, August 2026), a fridge rated at 400 kWh a year costs about $73 a year to run.

Typical figures for certified models

Median EPA-tested energy use of ENERGY STAR certified models in the EPA database, by type, at 18.16¢ per kWh:

Type	Models	Median energy	Yearly cost	10-year cost
Top Freezer	742	363 kWh	$66	$659
Bottom Freezer	1,516	563 kWh	$102	$1,022
Side-by-Side	119	640 kWh	$116	$1,162
Freezerless and Single Door	277	289 kWh	$52	$525
Compact Refrigerator	1,688	246 kWh	$45	$447

Full-size certified fridges range from 124 to 805 kWh a year, or about $23 to $146 a year at the same price. The 10-year figures assume today's price with no change.

What changes your real cost

Your electricity price. State averages run from about 13¢ to 47¢ per kWh (EIA, August 2026). See your state.
Where it stands. A warm garage or a spot next to the oven makes the compressor work harder than the test assumes.
Size and layout. ENERGY STAR notes that larger fridges generally use more energy, and that top-freezer models tend to use less than bottom-freezer or side-by-side models.

ENERGY STAR says certified refrigerators are about 9 percent more energy efficient than models that meet the federal minimum standard.

Browse refrigerators by running cost

Typical figures for certified models

What changes your real cost

Sources