Refrigerator & Chest Freezer Cost Per Year Calculator
Enter the kWh per year from the yellow EnergyGuide label, pick your state, and get the cost per month and year.
Refrigerator cost
A13Scenario A
Sets the electricity rate. Pick US average if you're not sure.
From EIA for US average. Use the rate on your bill if you know it.
Rate used: 18.2¢/kWh · US average · EIA, August 2026 (data as of 2026-10-25) ·
On the yellow EnergyGuide label. New fridges: 400–600; 1990s models: 1,000–1,400; chest freezers: 250–400.
Estimated cost per year
Estimate. Formula and sources are under “How it works”. Change any input; the result updates as you type.
Formula
How it works
- Cost per year = kWh per year (label) × rate
- Cost per month = cost per year ÷ 12
A refrigerator's compressor cycles on and off all day, so its wattage says little about its cost. The EnergyGuide label already does the math: it lists the yearly kWh under the federal test. A fridge from before 2000 typically uses 2 to 3 times as much as a current ENERGY STAR model.
Sources: EnergyGuide label, Federal Trade Commission (kWh/year). Electricity rate: EIA Electric Power Monthly table 5.6.A.
Worked example
A worked example
An older refrigerator rated at 1,200 kWh a year costs, at the Texas rate of 15.9¢/kWh, an estimated $190.92 a year, or $15.91 a month.
Reference
Reference table
Refrigerator and freezer cost per year at 18.2¢/kWh (US average)
| per month | per year | |
|---|---|---|
| Chest freezer · 300 kWh | $4.54 | $54.48 |
| New fridge · 450 kWh | $6.81 | $81.72 |
| New fridge · 600 kWh | $9.08 | $108.96 |
| 1990s fridge · 1,200 kWh | $18.16 | $217.92 |
Questions
FAQ
How much does an old refrigerator cost per year?
A 1990s fridge uses 1,000–1,400 kWh a year. At the US average rate of 18.2¢/kWh, 1,200 kWh is about $217.92 a year, against $81.72 for a new 450 kWh model. Compare both side by side in Compare mode.
Is a chest freezer cheaper to run than an upright?
Chest freezers are typically rated at 250–400 kWh a year and lose less cold air when opened. Compare the EnergyGuide kWh of the two models you're considering; that number already includes the difference.
How much does a garage fridge cost in summer?
More than the label says. The EnergyGuide figure assumes an indoor room, and a hot garage makes the compressor run longer. If you have a plug-in power meter, measure a week in summer and enter the result × 52 as kWh per year.
I don't have the label. What do I enter?
Use a plug-in power meter for a full day and multiply the kWh by 365, or look up the model number on the ENERGY STAR product finder.
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