How Much to Operate a Refrigerator for a Year?
- Energy Star says refrigerators with a top-mounted freezer represent your most efficient choice. A model with 10 cubic feet of space and no icemaker costs $41 a year to run. Models with 20.6 to 21 cubic feet and an icemaker will cost $38 to $44 to operate for 12 months. An appliance with an icemaker, internal water dispenser and 24.6 cubic feet of space adds $60 to your annual electricity bills.
- Freezer space is on the left and refrigeration space sits on the right in a side-by-side refrigerator. A model with 21.7 cubic feet and no external dispensers costs $54 a year to run. A side-by-side that holds 21.9 cubic feet of food and dispenses ice and water through the door generates $47 in electricity expenses. One of the highest-capacity models in this group holds 29.1 cubic feet and costs $66 a year to run. It dispenses ice and water through the door.
- The refrigeration cabinet sits behind a single door, and the freezer space is in a lower, pull-out drawer in these models. A 20.2-cubic-foot model with an icemaker but no dispensers needs $48 worth of electricity every 12 months. A 22.4-cubic-foot model that makes ice but doesn't dispense it through the door adds $50 a year to your electricity bill.
- French-door refrigerators are similar to bottom-freezer appliances, but they have two refrigerator doors instead of one. Some also have two freezer drawers. A model that holds 19.7 cubic feet of food and makes ice but lacks dispensers costs $48 a year to run. An icemaker-equipped model with 22 cubic feet and no dispensers costs $49. Step up to a 25.8-cubic-foot refrigerator with an icemaker and no dispensers, and you can spend $45 on electricity. A French-door model with 28.5 cubic feet of space and a through-the-door dispenser for ice and water runs on $59 worth of electricity.
