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Refrigerator Energy Efficiency Calculator

How much would a more efficient fridge actually save you?

Compare your current fridge's annual kWh against an ENERGY STAR or newer-model number to see the dollar gap, year over year — using your own electricity rate.

⏱ ~30 secDOE + ENERGY STAR + EIA dataEnergy & Cost
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10%+
ENERGY STAR vs federal min
ENERGY STAR criteria
~4×
1980s vs post-2014 efficiency
DOE standard rounds
16.5¢
US avg electricity rate
EIA
10 yr
Typical service life baseline
Industry typical
STEP 01

Old kWh.
New kWh.

Both numbers come from the EnergyGuide label or the manufacturer's spec sheet.

kWh/yr
Older units (pre-2001) often above 1,000 kWh/yr
kWh/yr
Modern ENERGY STAR full-size: ~400–700 kWh/yr
¢/kWh
US avg per EIA: ~16.5¢
Updates live as you type
Annual savings
Updated live
$50/yr
That's a 37.5% efficiency gain — roughly $495 over a 10-year service life.
Current cost
$132/yr
New cost
$83/yr
Under the hood

Two kWh values, one rate.

Reference numbers come from DOE federal energy-conservation standards, the ENERGY STAR certified product database, and EIA average residential rates.

  1. 01

    We multiply each kWh by your rate

    (kWh × ¢/kWh ÷ 100) gives the honest annual dollar cost — once for your current fridge, once for the replacement.

  2. 02

    We subtract to get savings

    Current cost − new cost = annual savings. The percent gain is savings ÷ current cost.

  3. 03

    We project across the service life

    Industry-typical refrigerator service life is around 10 years; the 10-year savings figure scales annual savings linearly across that span.

Questions

Frequently asked

On the yellow EnergyGuide label that shipped with the unit, or in the spec sheet on the manufacturer's product page. The number you want is labelled 'Estimated Yearly Electricity Use' or 'kWh/year'.
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Browse ENERGY STAR–certified refrigerators sortable by capacity, type, and live retailer pricing.

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Refrigerator Energy Costs by State

Annual electricity cost of running an older refrigerator (≈1,700 kWh/yr) versus a new ENERGY STAR model (≈500 kWh/yr), at each state's residential electricity rate.

StateElectricity rate (¢/kWh)Annual cost, older unitAnnual cost, new ENERGY STARAnnual savings
Alabama16.72¢$284.24$83.60$200.64
Alaska26.46¢$449.82$132.30$317.52
Arizona15.55¢$264.35$77.75$186.60
Arkansas13.26¢$225.42$66.30$159.12
California33.6¢$571.20$168.00$403.20
Colorado16.26¢$276.42$81.30$195.12
Connecticut27.72¢$471.24$138.60$332.64
Delaware18.31¢$311.27$91.55$219.72
District of Columbia16.6¢$282.20$83.00$199.20
Florida15.7¢$266.90$78.50$188.40
Georgia14.53¢$247.01$72.65$174.36
Hawaii42.49¢$722.33$212.45$509.88
Idaho12.46¢$211.82$62.30$149.52
Illinois18.74¢$318.58$93.70$224.88
Indiana17.34¢$294.78$86.70$208.08
Iowa13.48¢$229.16$67.40$161.76
Kansas15.16¢$257.72$75.80$181.92
Kentucky13.62¢$231.54$68.10$163.44
Louisiana12.39¢$210.63$61.95$148.68
Maine29.42¢$500.14$147.10$353.04
Maryland22.3¢$379.10$111.50$267.60
Massachusetts31.37¢$533.29$156.85$376.44
Michigan20.46¢$347.82$102.30$245.52
Minnesota16.37¢$278.29$81.85$196.44
Mississippi14.47¢$245.99$72.35$173.64
Missouri12.95¢$220.15$64.75$155.40
Montana14.27¢$242.59$71.35$171.24
Nebraska13.13¢$223.21$65.65$157.56
Nevada13.77¢$234.09$68.85$165.24
New Hampshire27.27¢$463.59$136.35$327.24
New Jersey22.55¢$383.35$112.75$270.60
New Mexico14.93¢$253.81$74.65$179.16
New York26.95¢$458.15$134.75$323.40
North Carolina15.05¢$255.85$75.25$180.60
North Dakota12.82¢$217.94$64.10$153.84
Ohio17.85¢$303.45$89.25$214.20
Oklahoma14.42¢$245.14$72.10$173.04
Oregon16.16¢$274.72$80.80$193.92
Pennsylvania20.49¢$348.33$102.45$245.88
Rhode Island31.16¢$529.72$155.80$373.92
South Carolina15.64¢$265.88$78.20$187.68
South Dakota14.09¢$239.53$70.45$169.08
Tennessee13.06¢$222.02$65.30$156.72
Texas16.11¢$273.87$80.55$193.32
Utah13.69¢$232.73$68.45$164.28
Vermont24.78¢$421.26$123.90$297.36
Virginia16.36¢$278.12$81.80$196.32
Washington14.06¢$239.02$70.30$168.72
West Virginia16.19¢$275.23$80.95$194.28
Wisconsin18.37¢$312.29$91.85$220.44
Wyoming15.11¢$256.87$75.55$181.32

Source: EIA state residential electricity rates via Fridge.com data, updated Feb 9, 2026. Assumes ≈1,700 kWh/yr for an older refrigerator and ≈500 kWh/yr for a new ENERGY STAR model.