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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Chest Freezer in Michigan? (2026)

Chest freezers are more efficient than upright freezers because cold air stays inside when the lid opens. A modern 200 litre chest freezer uses around 200 to 300 kWh a year; older units can use double that.

A typical chest freezer (100 W) costs $0.023 per hour, or about $5.52 per month at 8 hours a day in Michigan. Average running cost

Electricity price region Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low (60 W)	$0.014	$0.11	$3.31	$40.30
Typical (100 W)	$0.023	$0.18	$5.52	$67.16
High (200 W)	$0.046	$0.37	$11.04	$134.32

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day ≈ 292 kWh per year.

One hour of a chest freezer (0.10 kWh) is the same electricity as

2.0hours of a fridge
2.2hours of a laptop
10hours of Wi-Fi
11hours of an LED bulb

Annual electricity at typical use, log scale. #57 of 95 appliances, from cheapest to most expensive.

In Michigan, with electricity at $0.23 per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical chest freezer costs $0.023 per hour and about $67.16 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 28% more than the national average for the US ($4.32 per month), because electricity in Michigan costs $0.23 per kWh against $0.18 nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 43.5 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a chest freezer

Keep it in a cool garage or basement, not a hot utility room.
Keep it at least two-thirds full. Frozen mass holds cold through door openings and power cuts.
Defrost when ice exceeds about 5 mm. Ice buildup makes the compressor run longer.

Would switching to a new efficient chest freezer pay for itself?

At your hours and region above, this chest freezer uses about 292 kWh a year and a new efficient chest freezer about 175 kWh.

Purchase price of the new one Years you will keep it

Saves – per year. Pays for itself in –, and over 10 years you come out –.

Against a freezer from the 2000s. Prices are typical and editable; the saving updates with the region and hours you set in the table above.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a chest freezer per year?

A typical modern unit uses 250 to 350 kWh a year. Check the yearly figure above.

Is a chest freezer cheaper to run than an upright?

Yes, typically 10 to 25 percent, because less cold air spills out when opened.

Does a freezer use more power in a hot garage?

Yes. Every 5 C rise in ambient temperature can add 10 to 20 percent to running cost.

Compare with

Chest Freezer vs Mini Fridge

Cost by region

US states

Canadian provinces

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Use the generic electricity cost calculator → · Which uses more? Take the quiz →