How Much Electricity Does A Refrigerator Use?
Typical refrigerator: 60 W for 24 h a day1.44 kWh/day · $8.13/month
A fridge cycles on and off. An average draw of about 60 W across the day works out to roughly 525 kWh a year, typical for a newer full-size model. Change the numbers below for your own refrigerator and electricity rate.
W
h
¢/kWh
Default rate: US average residential rate of 18.56¢/kWh (EIA, March 2026, via Jouleio). Your bill shows your own rate per kWh.
Result–
Refrigerator running cost by hours
| Hours a day | kWh a month | Cost a month | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.8 | $0.34 | $4.06 |
| 2 | 3.7 | $0.68 | $8.13 |
| 4 | 7.3 | $1.36 | $16.26 |
| 6 | 11 | $2.03 | $24.39 |
| 8 | 14.6 | $2.71 | $32.52 |
| 12 | 21.9 | $4.07 | $48.78 |
| 24 | 43.8 | $8.13 | $97.55 |
At the US average residential rate of 18.56¢/kWh (EIA, March 2026, via Jouleio).
Other appliances
Questions
How much does it cost to run a refrigerator?
About $8.13 a month for 24 hours a day at 60 W and 18.56¢ per kWh.
How can I measure the real usage?
A plug-in energy meter shows the actual kWh an appliance uses over a few days, which is more accurate than the label rating.