How Much Does It Cost to Run a Refrigerator in the UK? (2026)

A refrigerator is plugged in all day, but the compressor only runs about a third of the time. The wattage figures here are the compressor draw, and the hours figure reflects typical compressor run time, not 24 hours.

A typical refrigerator (150 W) costs £0.039 per hour, or about £9.48 per month at 8 hours a day in the UK. Average running cost

Electricity price region

Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low 100 W	£0.026	£0.21	£6.32	£76.85
Typical 150 W	£0.039	£0.32	£9.48	£115.28
High 250 W	£0.066	£0.53	£15.79	£192.14

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day ≈ 438 kWh per year.

One hour of a refrigerator (0.15 kWh) is the same electricity as

3.3hours of a laptop
10phone charges
15hours of Wi-Fi
17hours of an LED bulb

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #68 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In the UK, with electricity at 26.3p per kWh (source: Ofgem price cap 1 Oct–31 Dec 2026, 2026-10), a typical refrigerator costs £0.039 per hour and about £115.28 per year at 8 hours a day. Each £1.00 of electricity buys roughly 25.3 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running a refrigerator

Set the fridge to 37 to 40 F (3 to 4 C) and the freezer to 0 F (-18 C). Colder settings waste power.
Vacuum the coils at the back or underneath once a year. Dust makes the compressor work harder.
Leave a gap for airflow behind and above the unit.
A fridge from before 2000 can use twice the electricity of a new one. Replacement often pays for itself within a few years.

Is an efficient refrigerator worth it?

10 to 15 year old fridge-freezer (EU class F, or pre-2010 US model): about 650 kWh a year. Current A-rated or ENERGY STAR fridge-freezer: about 220 kWh. The difference is worth £113.18 a year in the UK.

Replacing one that still works pays back in 8.0 years.
When yours needs replacing anyway, the extra cost of the efficient model pays back in 1.8 years.

Usage assumed: always on; the figures depend on the model, not on how you use it. Typical prices: £900.00 for the efficient model, £200.00 more than a basic one. Work it out with your own prices

Frequently asked questions

How many watts does a refrigerator use?

Most modern household fridges draw 100 to 250 watts while the compressor runs, averaging 1 to 2 kWh per day.

Does an empty fridge use more electricity?

Slightly. Food and drinks hold cold, so a full fridge recovers faster after the door opens.

Should I unplug my fridge when on vacation?

Only for trips longer than a month, and only if you empty and clean it first.

Cost by region

US states

Canadian provinces

Related appliances

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