What a refrigerator costs to run
A 150W refrigerator running around the clock at 17¢ per kWh costs $0.61/day, $18.36/month, and $223.38/year. It's one of the few appliances that never gets a day off.
The breakdown
- Daily energy: 150W × 24h ÷ 1000 = 3.6 kWh
- Daily cost: 3.6 × $0.17 = $0.61
- Monthly cost: $0.61 × 30 = $18.36
- Yearly cost: $0.61 × 365 = $223.38
Why fridges punch above their wattage
150W sounds small next to a 1500W space heater — but the heater runs hours, the fridge runs 8,760 hours a year. Always-on devices dominate the bill through time, not power. (Real fridges cycle their compressor, so this is an upper-bound estimate.) Price any device in the appliance electricity cost calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a refrigerator cost per year in electricity?
About $223/year for a 150W fridge running 24/7 at 17¢/kWh — an upper bound, since real compressors cycle on and off.
What uses the most electricity in a home?
Heating and cooling first, then water heating, then always-on appliances like refrigerators — which win on hours, not watts.
How do I calculate an appliance's cost?
Watts × hours per day ÷ 1000 × your $/kWh rate. The appliance calculator does it for any device, daily/monthly/yearly.