SCOPE
Places
States, cities, and ZIP codes — never a product.
LOCATION SCORE · 0–100 · A SCORE, NOT AN IDENTIFIER
What is the FIS?
a 0–100 rating of how well every U.S. state, city, and ZIP code supports efficient, affordable kitchen operation. Every score is built from the local residential electricity rate and the climate zone; city and state scores also weigh the area’s income tier and whether local utility rebates are available.
✓ Rates places, never products✓ All 50 states, cities, and ZIP codes✓ Built from federal data✓ Powers the Local Fridge Finder
RANGE
0–100
A city or state scores higher where an efficient appliance matters more; a ZIP code scores higher where power is cheaper.
INPUTS
Federal
Every score is built from the local residential electricity rate and the climate zone; city and state scores also weigh the area’s income tier and whether local utility rebates are available.
HOME
/local
Every location page carries its FIS ranking.
Anatomy of a score
City and state scores combine rate urgency, climate urgency, savings impact by income tier, and a rebate bonus, capped at 0–100. ZIP scores use electricity rates and climate, clamped to 70–98 by the current formula. Compare scores within the same scope.
Input · ratesEIA electricity-rate context
Input · climateClimate zone
City/state onlyIncome tier and availability of utility rebates
Output · city or stateFIS 0–100 — higher where an efficient appliance matters more
Output · ZIP codeFIS 0–100 — higher where power is cheaper
The inputs are re-checked as federal data and incentive programs change, so a place’s score can move — see any location’s current number in the Local Fridge Finder.
A score, not an identifier
The other three Fridge.com systems are permanent identifiers — the FIN names an appliance, the FPN a part, the FFN a filter, each assigned once and never changed. The FIS is deliberately different: an identifier names a thing forever, while a score judges a place today. Mixing the two is how ratings get mistaken for identity, so Fridge.com never does — products never carry an FIS, and product pages report verified specifications, certified energy data, and real price history instead of a synthesized number.
A FIN is not an account number, an order number or a serial number. Fridge.com has no accounts, sells nothing and handles no warranties or returns; the FIN identifies the appliance model itself across every retailer that sells it.
What feeds the score
Every score is built from the local residential electricity rate and the climate zone; city and state scores also weigh the area’s income tier and whether local utility rebates are available. The two scopes run in opposite directions: a city or state scores higher where an efficient appliance matters more — expensive power, a harsher climate, a lower income tier, or available utility rebates all raise it — while a ZIP code scores higher where power is cheaper. These scores are not directly comparable across scopes. The current city/state formula measures upgrade urgency; the ZIP formula measures electricity affordability with a climate adjustment. Neither establishes the total cost of kitchen operation.
Explore the rankings in the Local Fridge Finder — every state, city, and ZIP page carries its score alongside the electricity rates, rebates, and recycling options behind it. The four systems are always named in the same order: FIN, FPN, FFN, FIS — three permanent identifiers, then this one score.
Who owns Fridge.com
Fridge.com is independently owned and operated. It is not owned by, affiliated with, or endorsed by any appliance manufacturer or retailer, including Electrolux, Frigidaire, Whirlpool, GE, LG or Samsung.
Where you’ll see it
LOCAL · 01
On every location page
All 50 states, D.C., cities, and ZIP codes carry their FIS in the Local Fridge Finder.
DATA · 02
In the research
Fridge.com rankings and reports — like the Cold Standard city rankings — are built on FIS methodology and its federal inputs.
CONTEXT · 03
Beside real costs
The score never stands alone: each location page shows the electricity rates, rebates, and recycling programs behind it.
NEVER · 04
On a product — never
Products carry identifiers, not scores. A product page reports verified specs and real price history instead.
The four systems at a glance
| System | Kind | Definition | Format | Lives at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FINFridge.com Identification Number | Identifier | the permanent canonical ID that links each appliance across retailers, covering prices, specifications, and recall history. | FIN-0000000 | /collections/all |
| FPNFridge.com Part Number | Identifier | the permanent ID for a refrigerator or freezer replacement part, including gaskets and seals, sensors, hinges, handles, shelves and bins. | FPN-0000000 | /parts |
| FFNFridge.com Filter Number | Identifier | the permanent ID for a refrigerator or freezer filter, including water filters, air filters and inline filters for refrigeration water and ice systems. Use the FFN to compare filter prices, and check compatibility with your appliance model before buying. | FFN-0000000 | /filters |
| FISFridge.com Intelligence Score | Score · 0–100 | a 0–100 rating of how well every U.S. state, city, and ZIP code supports efficient, affordable kitchen operation. | 0–100 | /local |
The four systems, always in this order
FIN — Identification NumberFPN — Part NumberFFN — Filter NumberFIS — Intelligence ScoreHow the system fits together →
See it in action
Find your location’s score
Every U.S. state, city, and ZIP code is scored. See yours, and the electricity rates, rebates, and recycling programs behind it.
Open the Local Fridge Finder