Refrigerator Upgrade Savings Calculator

Will the new fridge actually pay for itself?

Enter the purchase price, both kWh figures, your electricity rate, and any rebate. We'll show the payback period and 10-year ROI on real numbers — not marketing math.

⏱ ~45 sec•DOE + ENERGY STAR + EIA data•Energy & Cost

10%+

ENERGY STAR vs federal min

ENERGY STAR criteria

10 yr

Service-life baseline

Industry typical

16.5¢

US avg rate

EIA

Up to $100s

Utility rebates available

Varies by ZIP

STEP 01

Five inputs.
Honest payback.

All numbers come from your EnergyGuide labels and your most recent electric bill.

New fridge purchase price

Old kWh/yr

New kWh/yr

Rate (¢/kWh)

Rebate ($)

Updates live as you type Use your bill's total dollars ÷ total kWh for rate

Payback period

Updated live

21.6years

Long payback — only worth it if your current fridge is failing or you value other features.

Annual savings

$66

10-yr lifetime

$660

Net cost after rebate

$1,425

10-yr ROI

-54%

Under the hood

kWh × rate. Net cost ÷ savings.

Reference numbers from DOE federal standards, the ENERGY STAR certified product database and EIA average rates, projected over a conservative 10-year horizon.

01
kWh saved × rate = annual $
(old kWh − new kWh) × ¢/kWh ÷ 100 = honest annual savings, in your dollars at your rate.
02
Net cost = price − rebate
Utility ENERGY STAR rebates can run from $25 to several hundred dollars depending on program. The rebate directly shortens payback period.
03
Payback + 10-year ROI
Net cost ÷ annual savings = years to break even. Lifetime savings and ROI % are projected over 10 years. That is shorter than the 12-year refrigerator lifetime ENERGY STAR assumes, which keeps the estimate conservative.

Questions

Frequently asked

Both come off the yellow EnergyGuide label that ships on every new fridge, or the spec sheet on the manufacturer's website. The figure you want is 'Estimated Yearly Electricity Use' or 'kWh/year'.