What does a refrigerator cost to run? Reprice the EnergyGuide label

Monthly and yearly running cost for any refrigerator, from the kWh figure on its yellow label and your state's average electricity price.

Last updated October 1, 2026 · Prices: EIA, July 2026, released September 24, 2026

Nordprix guide · Editor: Halil Erdoğan

Refrigerator

Running cost by state

Yearly cost in each state

Three examples that cover most full-size refrigerators on the FTC's label ranges: 400, 600 and 800 kWh a year. Find the kWh figure on your label and read across, or type it into the calculator.

Why the label's dollar figure is too low in most states

New refrigerators sold in the US carry the Federal Trade Commission's yellow EnergyGuide label. Under 16 CFR 305.14, the label must give the model's estimated yearly electricity use and an estimated yearly cost, with the line “Estimated energy cost based on a national average electricity cost of ____ cents per kWh.” The FTC fills that blank for every refrigerator label: Appendix K1 to the rule sets the price at 14 cents per kWh, based on Energy Department figures published in 2022.

EIA's residential average for July 2026 is 18.31 cents, about 31% above the label's price. Only 8 states averaged below 14 cents that month: Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Tennessee and Utah. Everywhere else, the dollar figure on the label is lower than the same use costs at the state's average price. The FTC's rule says it will publish revised cost figures in 2027.

The kWh figure doesn't have that problem. Section 305.8 of the rule says label figures are determined under the Energy Department's testing provisions, so the kWh comes from a test, not from a price. It's the number to carry into the calculator.

Finding the label before you buy

Shopping online, you may not see the sticker on the door. Section 305.9 of the rule requires the manufacturer to make a copy of each model's label available on a public website, and to keep it there for six months after the model stops being made. Search the maker's site for the model number with “EnergyGuide” and read the kWh line.

How the calculation works

cost per year ($) = kWh per year × price (¢ per kWh) ÷ 100

cost per month ($) = cost per year ÷ 12

Worked example: a label showing 600 kWh a year. At 14 cents, the label's own price, that is $84.00. At the US average of 18.31 cents it's $109.86 a year, or $9.16 a month. In Hawaii, at 48.00 cents, it's $288.00 a year.

What the label's cost range means in kWh

The label also places the model on a scale from the cheapest to the most expensive similar models. The FTC publishes those ranges in dollars. Dividing by 14 cents turns them back into kWh, and pricing that at today's average shows what the range is worth now. The FTC rounds its ranges to whole dollars, so the kWh figures are approximate.

Within one type and size, the gap between the most and least efficient models is often worth more than the gap between types. The label range for a 22.5 to 24.4 cubic foot bottom-freezer model spans 464 to 700 kWh a year; at the US average, that's a difference of $43.16 a year.

Your own refrigerator may use more or less

The label figure comes from a standard test, not from your kitchen. The rule's own label text says “Your cost will depend on your utility rates and use.” The calculator handles the first part; for the second, the label figure is the best comparison between models, not a promise for any one home.

What the state price is

The prices are the residential averages in the US Energy Information Administration's Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, for July 2026, marked as preliminary. EIA's next release is due on October 23, 2026.

Sources

• U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State, July 2026 and 2025, residential column. Data for July 2026, released September 24, 2026; next release October 23, 2026. Read October 1, 2026.
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 16 CFR Part 305, Energy Labeling Rule: sections 305.8 (DOE test basis), 305.9 (labels on websites), 305.12 (revised cost figures in 2027) and 305.14 (refrigerator label content), Appendices A4, A6, A7 and A8 (cost ranges) and Appendix K1 (14 cents per kWh). Read October 1, 2026.

Changes: first published October 1, 2026.

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