How Much Does It Cost to Run a Chest Freezer? $0.01/Hr, $4.16/Mo

34 W (25–55 W)Typical power draw

24 h/day, 30 days/monthAssumed use

0.82 kWhEnergy per day

Updated September 2026 · Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

On this page: Calculator Table How we calculated Sources

Power draw (watts) — typical for chest freezer: 25–55 W; check your label Hours per day for a chest freezer — effective run-hours Days per month — 30 = every day Months used per year — 12 for chest freezer; seasonal loads do not run all year Quick-fill your state's EIA average rate Your rate (¢/kWh) — 17¢ = EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢)

Energy used: — per day

Cost per hour: —

Cost per day: —

Cost per month in use: —

Cost per year: —

a chest freezer: energy cost only (34 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate); fixed fees and taxes extra.

What changes if… Electricity rates move Compare it with charging an EV at home

Slider nudges the rate for a chest freezer; the URL keeps it.

## How much does it cost to run a chest freezer?

The same a chest freezer at 24 hours a day costs $2.94 a month at 12¢ and $11.02 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Chest Freezer? $0.01/Hr, $4.16/Mo
Electricity rate	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
12¢/kWh	$0.004	$0.10	$2.94	$36
15¢/kWh	$0.005	$0.12	$3.67	$45
17¢/kWh (US avg)	$0.006	$0.14	$4.16	$51
20¢/kWh	$0.007	$0.16	$4.90	$60
25¢/kWh	$0.009	$0.20	$6.12	$74
30¢/kWh	$0.010	$0.24	$7.34	$89
35¢/kWh	$0.012	$0.29	$8.57	$104
45¢/kWh	$0.015	$0.37	$11.02	$134

Typical power draw: 34 W (25–55 W)
Assumed use: 24 h/day, 30 days/month
Energy per day: 0.82 kWh
Cost per day: $0.14
Cost per month: $4.16
Cost per year: $51

Why this number

Running a chest freezer at 34 watts for 24 hours a day costs about $0.14 a day and $4.16 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $51 a year. The formula for a chest freezer: 34 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a chest freezer your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $2.94, at 45¢/kWh it costs $11.02.

A chest freezer rated at 34 watts, run 24 hours a day, costs about $0.14 a day — about $4.16 a month, or $51 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 26th of the 40 appliances tracked here, near the bottom. It is not where a high bill comes from, and switching it off will not rescue one.

What actually drives this number

Chest freezers cost less to run than upright ones because cold air does not fall out when you open the lid. A full freezer also holds temperature better than an empty one, so keeping it stocked genuinely reduces compressor run-time. As with a fridge, the figure here is the effective average draw across a full 24 hours, not the compressor’s nameplate rating — check it against your unit’s EnergyGuide label.

For a chest freezer the unit that matters is the kilowatt-hour, not the kilowatt : 34 W is only the rate of use, and 24 hours a day is what turns it into the 298 kWh a year you are actually billed for. On that yearly measure its nearest always-on neighbor is the humidifier at about 300 kWh.

Where this number comes from

Benchmark: 298 kWh/year — ENERGY STAR’s freezer page puts a certified chest freezer at about 215 kWh/yr; older or larger boxes run higher
Assumed use for a chest freezer: 24 h/day, 30 days/month, 12 months/year — every one of these is editable in the calculator above
Rate for a chest freezer: 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A ; the state selector above fills in yours

Putting Chest freezer in proportion

At 17¢/kWh, a chest freezer next to the rest of the bill:

Chest freezer at $4.16 a month is close to Dishwasher at $3.40, and about 2x less than Electric blanket ($8.16)
One hour of a chest freezer uses as much as roughly an hour of a typical always-on device
Over a year a chest freezer comes to $51 — about 0.3 months of a $150 monthly electricity bill

For a chest freezer: this is an always-on load, and that is the whole story. Chest freezer’s wattage is unremarkable; the 24-hour duty cycle is what puts a chest freezer where it is. Reducing run-hours is usually impossible for a chest freezer, which makes efficiency at purchase time the only real decision. On this site’s own numbers, a chest freezer lands at #26 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $4.16 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 34 W arithmetic for a chest freezer, step by step:

Watts to kilowatts. 34 W ÷ 1,000 = 0.03 kW.
Energy per day. 0.03 kW × 24 hours = 0.82 kWh.
Cost per day. 0.82 kWh × $0.17 = $0.14.
Cost per month. $0.14 × 30 days = $4.16.

For a chest freezer the two levers are run-hours (24 h/day here) and your rate; at 24 hours a day, 34 W adds up — which is why always-on loads dominate the rankings.

Other always-on loads: Humidifier ($51/yr), Well pump ($62/yr), Refrigerator ($67/yr). Closest on annual cost: NAS (home server) ($53/yr), Dishwasher ($41/yr). Across all other always-on loads here, the cheapest is Water softener at $0.37/mo and the priciest is Pool pump at $40.80/mo.

The a chest freezer table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .

Put a chest freezer ($4.16 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a chest freezer per hour?

About $0.006 an hour for a chest freezer at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 34 W unit. The calculation is 34 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.010.

How much does a chest freezer add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $4.16 a month for a chest freezer at 24 hours a day, 30 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $51 a year if you use it that much year-round. For a chest freezer, change the 24-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 34 W does.

How many watts does a chest freezer use?

About 34 W as a duty-cycle average — the figure your bill actually sees. The compressor nameplate reads far higher (commonly 100-400 W) because it only runs part of the time; for your own unit use the EnergyGuide label’s yearly kWh, not the nameplate.

Why is my actual bill higher than the a chest freezer figure?

$4.16 a month is the energy cost of a chest freezer alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a chest freezer for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a chest freezer: 34 W ÷ 1,000 × 24 h × $0.17 = $0.14 a day; × 30 days = $4.16 a month; × 12 months in use = $51 a year. 34 W and 24 h are the typical figures cited for a chest freezer; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

Where to go next

Cost to run dishwasher — The next cheaper item on the list: $3.40 a month against a chest freezer’s $4.16.
Cost to run electric blanket — The next pricier item: $8.16 a month, which puts a chest freezer in proportion.
All 40 appliances ranked by monthly cost — Chest freezer is 26 of 40; the full ranking at 17¢/kWh.
Electricity cost calculator — Any wattage and hours, not just a chest freezer — with the state quick-fill.
Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Your own utility’s average rate, sent straight into the a chest freezer calculator.