Household Atlas
Household Atlas
Energy use & costs

How Much Electricity Does a Refrigerator Use?

A refrigerator runs every hour of the year, but its compressor cycles on and off. That is why its real cost is found on the yellow label, not on the wattage plate.

By Luis Alberto Najar Isidro Updated 3-minute read 4 sources

Quick answer

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that the most-used refrigerator in a home cost about $87 a year to run in 2020, and a second refrigerator about $66. For your own model, take the yearly kWh on the yellow EnergyGuide label and multiply by your rate: 500 kWh a year at the U.S. average of 18.31 cents is about $92 a year, or $7.63 a month.

Difficulty
Easy DIY
Main refrigerator
About $87 a year (EIA, 2020)
Second refrigerator
About $66 a year (EIA, 2020)
500 kWh a year
About $7.63 a month
Rate used
18.31¢/kWh, U.S. average (EIA)
On this page

Nearly every American home has a refrigerator: 99 percent, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and 34 percent had two or more in 2020. The agency estimates that the most-used refrigerator cost about $87 a year to operate that year, and a second one about $66.

Those are averages. Your own figure is easy to find.

Start with the yellow label

Every new refrigerator sold in the United States carries a yellow EnergyGuide label with its estimated yearly electricity use in kWh. If the label is gone, search the model number, which is printed on a plate inside the fresh-food compartment.

Cost per year = yearly kWh × your rate per kWh

A model rated at 500 kWh a year, at 18.31¢ per kWh: 500 × $0.1831 = about $92 a year.

Cost by yearly kWh

Label rating At 12¢/kWh At 18.31¢/kWh At 25¢/kWh At 35¢/kWh Per month at 18.31¢
300 kWh a year $36.00 $54.93 $75.00 $105.00 $4.58
400 kWh a year $48.00 $73.24 $100.00 $140.00 $6.10
500 kWh a year $60.00 $91.55 $125.00 $175.00 $7.63
600 kWh a year $72.00 $109.86 $150.00 $210.00 $9.15
800 kWh a year $96.00 $146.48 $200.00 $280.00 $12.21

The 18.31¢ column is the U.S. average residential rate for July 2026 reported by the Energy Information Administration.

Why the wattage plate misleads

A refrigerator’s nameplate shows the watts it draws while the compressor is running. The compressor cycles: it runs until the inside is cold, then stops until the temperature rises again. Multiplying the nameplate watts by 24 hours overstates the cost several times over.

Virginia Cooperative Extension gives a rule of thumb for this: divide the time the refrigerator is plugged in by three to estimate the hours it runs at full wattage. The label’s yearly kWh, measured in a standard test, is more reliable. A plug-in electricity monitor left on for a day or more is better still, because it measures your refrigerator in your kitchen.

What makes a refrigerator use more

  • Age. ENERGY STAR states that an old refrigerator uses about 20 percent more energy on average than a certified model, and that one over 15 years old could cost about $95 a year to run.
  • Temperature set too cold. Colder than necessary means more compressor time. See the right refrigerator and freezer temperatures.
  • A warm location. A unit in a hot garage works harder than one in a kitchen.
  • Worn door gaskets and dusty coils. Both make the compressor run longer. They are also early signs of a refrigerator that is not cooling properly.
  • Size and layout. ENERGY STAR notes that the most energy-efficient models are typically 16 to 20 cubic feet.

Is replacing an old one worth it?

On electricity alone, the saving is modest. ENERGY STAR estimates that recycling an old refrigerator and replacing it with a certified model saves about $150 over the 12-year life of the new one, and that certified models are about 9 percent more efficient than the federal minimum. The stronger case for replacing is a costly repair on an old unit. The repair-or-replace calculator weighs the repair quote against the appliance’s age.

The spare refrigerator is a different matter. If it holds a few drinks, unplugging it saves its whole running cost.

Related guides: how much electricity a clothes dryer uses and why an electric bill is suddenly high.

Bottom lineMultiply the yearly kWh on the yellow label by your electricity rate. At the U.S. average, a 500 kWh model costs about $92 a year. The national estimate is about $87 a year for a main refrigerator and $66 for a second one, and an old spare is the first place to look for savings.

Frequently asked questions

How many watts does a refrigerator use?

The wattage on the nameplate is what it draws while the compressor is running, and the compressor is off much of the time. Virginia Cooperative Extension suggests dividing the hours a refrigerator is plugged in by three to estimate the hours it actually runs at that wattage. The yearly kWh on the EnergyGuide label is the better figure.

Does an old refrigerator use more electricity?

Usually. ENERGY STAR states that, on average, an old refrigerator uses about 20 percent more energy than a certified model, and that a refrigerator over 15 years old could cost about $95 a year to run.

Is a second refrigerator in the garage expensive?

The Energy Information Administration put the cost of a second refrigerator at about $66 a year in 2020, and found that 34 percent of U.S. homes had two or more. An old unit kept as a spare is often the least efficient appliance in the house.

How can I measure what my refrigerator really uses?

Plug it into an electricity usage monitor for at least a full day, then multiply the kWh reading up to a year. Many public libraries lend these monitors.

Sources

  1. Electricity use in homes U.S. Energy Information Administration
  2. Refrigerators ENERGY STAR
  3. Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use (publication 2901-9014) Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech
  4. Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers U.S. Energy Information Administration

First published October 8, 2026. Last reviewed October 8, 2026. Spot an error? Tell us and we will check it against the source.

Read next How Much Electricity Does a TV Use? A television is a small load next to a heater or a dryer. What adds up is the hours: many sets are on for a large part of every day.