Fridge.com Logo

Refrigerator Cost of Ownership Calculator

What does a fridge really cost over its life?

Sticker price is only the start. Add delivery, energy at your local rate, and maintenance over the service life — that's the honest cost of ownership.

⏱ ~45 secDOE EnergyGuide + EIA + AHAMEnergy & Cost
Share
13 yr
Avg fridge service life
AHAM / Consumer Reports
16.5¢
US avg electricity rate
EIA
$50
Typical annual maintenance
Filters + service
10 yr
ENERGY STAR replace cutoff
ENERGY STAR
STEP 01

Price + energy
+ maintenance.

Six inputs. Honest 10-year math, no marketing fluff.

$
$
kWh/yr
EnergyGuide label. ENERGY STAR: ~400–500 kWh/yr.
¢/kWh
US avg per EIA: ~16.5¢
AHAM / Consumer Reports avg ~13 yr
$
Updates live as you type
Total cost of ownership
Updated live
$2,843
That's roughly $284/year, or $24/month, across 10 years.
Purchase + delivery
$1,600
Energy (10 yr)
$743
Maintenance (10 yr)
$500
Cumulative cost — year by year
Year 1
$1,724
Year 2
$1,849
Year 3
$1,973
Year 4
$2,097
Year 5
$2,221
Year 6
$2,346
Year 7
$2,470
Year 8
$2,594
Year 9
$2,718
Year 10
$2,843
Under the hood

One purchase + N years of bills.

Reference numbers come from DOE EnergyGuide labels, EIA average residential rates, and AHAM / Consumer Reports survey data on appliance service life.

  1. 01

    Initial cost

    Purchase price + delivery and install. One-time, no financing math (use the Financing Calculator for that).

  2. 02

    Energy cost

    Annual kWh × your electricity rate × years of ownership. Energy frequently exceeds purchase price over a 10-year life on inefficient units.

  3. 03

    Maintenance + total

    Annual maintenance × years, added to the running total. Annual cost = total ÷ years; monthly cost = annual ÷ 12.

Questions

Frequently asked

Water filters (~$40–60/yr if equipped), a coil cleaning every 1–2 years, a gasket replacement every 8–10 years, and the occasional minor service visit. $50/year is a reasonable steady-state average.
Keep going

Tools that pair with this one

Next step

Ready to compare ENERGY STAR models head to head?

Browse ENERGY STAR–certified refrigerators sorted by capacity, type, and live retailer pricing.

Browse ENERGY STAR refrigerators