How Much Does It Cost to Run a Refrigerator? $0.01/Hr, $5.51/Mo

45 W (35–70 W)Typical power draw

24 h/day, 30 days/monthAssumed use

1.08 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 refrigerator: 35–70 W; check your label Hours per day for a refrigerator — effective run-hours Days per month — 30 = every day Months used per year — 12 for refrigerator; 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 refrigerator: energy cost only (45 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 refrigerator; the URL keeps it.

## How much does it cost to run a refrigerator?

The same a refrigerator at 24 hours a day costs $3.89 a month at 12¢ and $14.58 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Refrigerator? $0.01/Hr, $5.51/Mo
Electricity rate	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
12¢/kWh	$0.005	$0.13	$3.89	$47
15¢/kWh	$0.007	$0.16	$4.86	$59
17¢/kWh (US avg)	$0.008	$0.18	$5.51	$67
20¢/kWh	$0.009	$0.22	$6.48	$79
25¢/kWh	$0.011	$0.27	$8.10	$99
30¢/kWh	$0.013	$0.32	$9.72	$118
35¢/kWh	$0.016	$0.38	$11.34	$138
45¢/kWh	$0.020	$0.49	$14.58	$177

Typical power draw: 45 W (35–70 W)
Assumed use: 24 h/day, 30 days/month
Energy per day: 1.08 kWh
Cost per day: $0.18
Cost per month: $5.51
Cost per year: $67

Why this number

Running a refrigerator at 45 watts for 24 hours a day costs about $0.18 a day and $5.51 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $67 a year. The formula for a refrigerator: 45 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a refrigerator your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $3.89, at 45¢/kWh it costs $14.58.

A refrigerator rated at 45 watts, run 24 hours a day, costs about $0.18 a day — about $5.51 a month, or $67 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 20th of the 40 appliances tracked here — mid-table, but high enough that it is worth being deliberate about how much you use it.

What actually drives this number

The number that matters is the EFFECTIVE average draw, not the nameplate. A fridge’s compressor cycles on and off at roughly a 30% duty cycle, so a unit whose compressor pulls 150 W while running averages somewhere around 45 W across a full 24 hours. That is why the figure here is 45 W for 24 hours rather than 150 W for 24 hours: multiplying nameplate watts by clock hours is the most common error in appliance cost estimates and overstates a modern fridge by roughly three times. The annual total this produces, near 400 kWh, sits inside the 350-500 kWh band an ENERGY STAR fridge carries on its EnergyGuide label — which is the number to check against your own unit.

For a refrigerator the unit that matters is the kilowatt-hour, not the kilowatt : 45 W is only the rate of use, and 24 hours a day is what turns it into the 394 kWh a year you are actually billed for. On that yearly measure its nearest always-on neighbor is the air purifier at about 394 kWh.

Where this number comes from

Benchmark: 394 kWh/year — compare any model’s label figure in the ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator list
Assumed use for a refrigerator: 24 h/day, 30 days/month, 12 months/year — every one of these is editable in the calculator above
Rate for a refrigerator: 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 Refrigerator in proportion

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

Refrigerator at $5.51 a month is close to Well pump at $5.10, and just under Electric blanket at $8.16
One hour of a refrigerator uses as much as roughly an hour of a typical always-on device
Over a year a refrigerator comes to $67 — about 0.4 months of a $150 monthly electricity bill

For a refrigerator: this is an always-on load, and that is the whole story. Refrigerator’s wattage is unremarkable; the 24-hour duty cycle is what puts a refrigerator where it is. Reducing run-hours is usually impossible for a refrigerator, which makes efficiency at purchase time the only real decision. On this site’s own numbers, a refrigerator lands at #20 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $5.51 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 45 W arithmetic for a refrigerator, step by step:

Watts to kilowatts. 45 W ÷ 1,000 = 0.04 kW.
Energy per day. 0.04 kW × 24 hours = 1.08 kWh.
Cost per day. 1.08 kWh × $0.17 = $0.18.
Cost per month. $0.18 × 30 days = $5.51.

For a refrigerator the two levers are run-hours (24 h/day here) and your rate; at 24 hours a day, 45 W adds up — which is why always-on loads dominate the rankings.

Other always-on loads: Air purifier ($67/yr), Well pump ($62/yr), Humidifier ($51/yr). Closest on annual cost: Treadmill ($62/yr), Clothes dryer ($79/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 refrigerator 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 refrigerator ($5.51 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 refrigerator per hour?

About $0.008 an hour for a refrigerator at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 45 W unit. The calculation is 45 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.013.

How much does a refrigerator add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $5.51 a month for a refrigerator at 24 hours a day, 30 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $67 a year if you use it that much year-round. For a refrigerator, change the 24-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 45 W does.

How many watts does a refrigerator use?

About 45 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 refrigerator figure?

$5.51 a month is the energy cost of a refrigerator alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a refrigerator for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a refrigerator: 45 W ÷ 1,000 × 24 h × $0.17 = $0.18 a day; × 30 days = $5.51 a month; × 12 months in use = $67 a year. 45 W and 24 h are the typical figures cited for a refrigerator; 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 well pump — The next cheaper item on the list: $5.10 a month against a refrigerator’s $5.51.
Cost to run electric blanket — The next pricier item: $8.16 a month, which puts a refrigerator in proportion.
All 40 appliances ranked by monthly cost — Refrigerator is 20 of 40; the full ranking at 17¢/kWh.
Electricity cost calculator — Any wattage and hours, not just a refrigerator — with the state quick-fill.
Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Your own utility’s average rate, sent straight into the a refrigerator calculator.