Checked against official sources on 15 October 2026
How much does a refrigerator cost to run?
About $6.97 a month
for a typical full-size fridge in No match. Pick "Another country" to type your own price. , at 18.31 cents per kWh.
Type your electricity price to see the cost.
- Uses
- 1.25 kWh a day
- Draws while running
- 132–192 W
- Needs at start-up
- about 1,200 W
Your fridge is the one appliance that never gets switched off, which is why it's worth knowing what it really costs. The good news is that a modern full-size fridge uses about 1.25 kWh a day, less than most people guess. The type you choose matters more than the brand, as the table further down shows.
Averaged over a whole day it draws about 52 W, close to an old 50 W light bulb left on around the clock. The average is low because the compressor keeps switching on and off.
Work out your own refrigerator
Typical use: 556 kWh a year
You'll find it on the appliance's energy label.
Which type uses the most
A side-by-side fridge typically uses about 1.8 times the energy of a top-freezer model. Costs below use the price you set above.
| Type of fridge | Typical size | Energy per year | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single door, no freezer294 models | 16.7 cu ft (473 L) | $53 | |
| Top freezer838 models | 18.0 cu ft (510 L) | $66 | |
| Bottom freezer, including French door1,671 models | 19.6 cu ft (555 L) | $102 | |
| Side-by-side123 models | 24.8 cu ft (702 L) | $117 | |
| Compact or mini fridge1,765 models | 3.3 cu ft (93 L) | $45 |
What it costs in other countries
For a typical full-size fridge, at each country's official average electricity price.
| Country | Price per kWh | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 18.31 cents | $6.97 | $84 |
| United Kingdom | 26.32 pence | £10 | £120 |
| Germany | 36.18 cents | €14 | €165 |
| Ireland | 38.71 cents | €15 | €177 |
| France | 24.85 cents | €9.46 | €114 |
| Spain | 25.09 cents | €9.56 | €115 |
| Italy | 31.42 cents | €12 | €144 |
| Netherlands | 24.40 cents | €9.29 | €112 |
Prices from the U.S. EIA, Ofgem and Eurostat; see Sources below. To see another country, pick it at the top of the page; we cover 51.
How to cut the cost of running your refrigerator
-
Pick a top-freezer model next time
In the ENERGY STAR data, the typical top-freezer fridge uses 277 kWh a year less than the typical side-by-side.
Saves about $51 a year
-
Keep it away from heat
Don't put it next to the oven, in direct sun or in a hot garage. The warmer the air around it, the harder the compressor works.
-
Keep the door shut and the setting sensible
Every time the door opens, cold air spills out. Setting it colder than you need adds to the bill all year.
-
Check whether an old fridge is worth replacing
Type the kWh from its energy label into the replace-or-keep calculator to see the saving and the payback time.
Savings use the electricity price you set above and figures from this page's sources.
What can power it
To run a fridge from a generator or a portable power station, check two numbers. It must supply the running power, about 132–192 W, all the time. It must also handle about 1,200 W for a moment each time it starts.
Common questions
How many watts does a refrigerator use?
An ENERGY STAR fridge draws about 132–192 W while its compressor runs and needs about 1,200 W for a moment when it starts, according to Honda's generator wattage guide. Because the compressor switches on and off, the average across a day is much lower: about 52 W for a typical full-size model.
How much electricity does a fridge use per day?
About 1.25 kWh a day for a typical full-size ENERGY STAR model (457 kWh a year). Most full-size models fall between 297 and 685 kWh a year.
Does a mini fridge use less electricity?
Yes. The typical compact ENERGY STAR fridge uses about 246 kWh a year, roughly half of a full-size model. See the mini fridge page for details.
Why is my fridge different from these numbers?
These figures come from certified, efficient models tested in standard conditions. Older or non-certified fridges usually use more, and so does a fridge in a hot room or one that is opened often. The energy label on your fridge gives its own yearly figure, which you can type into the calculator above.
How much does it cost to run a refrigerator per day?
About $0.23 a day in the United States, at the average price of 18.31 cents per kWh, or about £0.33 a day in the UK at 26.32 pence, for a typical full-size fridge. That adds up to about $84 or £120 a year.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators data set (U.S. EPA), 4,876 models, fetched 15 October 2026
- Honda Power Equipment, generator wattage estimation guide
- Eurostat, Electricity prices for household consumers (nrg_pc_204): consumption band 2,500–4,999 kWh, all taxes and levies included, January–June 2026 (updated 13 October 2026)
- Ofgem energy price cap: average Direct Debit electricity unit rate, England, Scotland and Wales, 1 October to 31 December 2026
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electricity Monthly Update: average residential price, July 2026 (released 24 September 2026)
Last checked 15 October 2026. How we get our numbers.