Home › Appliances › Kitchen › Refrigerator › United States (average)

How Much Does It Cost to Run a Refrigerator in the US? (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 $0.027 per hour, or about $6.48 per month at 8 hours a day in United States (average). Average running cost

Electricity price region Hours used per day

Wattage	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
Low (100 W)	$0.018	$0.14	$4.32	$52.56
Typical (150 W)	$0.027	$0.22	$6.48	$78.84
High (250 W)	$0.045	$0.36	$10.80	$131.40

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

In the US, with electricity at $0.18 per kWh (source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, 2026-06), a typical refrigerator costs $0.027 per hour and about $78.84 per year at 8 hours a day. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 37.0 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.

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

Related appliances

Use the generic electricity cost calculator →