How Much Power Does a Fridge Use?

TL;DR: Your fridge is a major energy consumer in your home. Understanding its power usage helps manage costs while ensuring food safety. Learn key factors affecting consumption, ways to optimize efficiency, and how to calculate your daily electricity cost.

Main Points:

• Fridge Energy Consumption – Appliances that cool or heat use significant power.
• Size & Type Matter – Larger and French-door models consume more energy.
• Specialty Fridges – Mini, camping, and commercial fridges have varying wattage needs.
• Usage Impact – Frequent door openings and improper food storage affect efficiency.
• Temperature Settings – Keeping your fridge between 35-38°F optimizes energy use.
• Ambient Temperature – Placement away from heat sources improves efficiency.
• Cost Calculation Formula – (Wattage × Hours per Day/1000) × Electricity Rate = Daily Cost.
• Energy Savings – Switching electricity providers can lower costs in deregulated states.

Your refrigerator is one of your hardest-working appliances. It runs continuously to keep your food at a safe temperature. On average, that makes it one of the most power-hungry appliances in the kitchen, if not your entire home.

How much power does a fridge use? Is it possible to reduce your consumption without impacting food safety?

In this guide, we’ll break down the factors that contribute to a refrigerator’s energy consumption. We’ll share tips for cutting costs and help you calculate the cost per day to keep things cool. Keep reading to learn the factors that matter when choosing a fridge!

Appliances that heat things up or cool things down always use a great deal of energy. A refrigerator, which keeps things cold 24/7 requires a lot of energy. Unfortunately, consumers depend on their trusty fridges to keep their food at a safe temperature. That means you can’t easily cut down on fridge usage without creating a bigger problem.

The easiest way to reduce power consumption is to choose the most efficient fridge possible. If possible, choose a fridge with an ENERGY STAR rating from the government. On average, they are 9% more efficient than standard models. Likewise, newer, well-maintained units will always be more efficient than older models.

With that said, other factors play a role. We’ll break down the most significant ones below.

It requires more electricity to cool a large refrigerator than a small one. Furthermore, some refrigerator styles are less efficient. For example, models with French or side-by-side doors are almost always less efficient than single-door models.

We measure power usage in watts. Watts are a measure of the rate at which energy is transferred. The higher the wattage an appliance requires, the more you’ll pay to use the appliance. You can generally find that information on the product packaging, user manual, or manufacturer’s website.

Mini fridges can vary significantly in size. Today, micro-fridges for cosmetics are rising in popularity. However, dorm room-style fridges (up to 4.5 cu. ft) are still considered mini fridges.

On average, mini units use between 50 and 100 watts to run.

Camping fridges are designed for outdoor use and tend to be very energy efficient. On average, they use between 30 and 100 watts of electricity.

Commercial fridges are found in restaurants, supermarkets, and other food service facilities. They typically have an incredibly high capacity compared to consumer units. As a result, it requires a lot of power to keep them continuously cool. They also range in size from large stand-alone models to walk-ins.

With that in mind, commercial fridges use anywhere from 700 watts to 2,500 watts or more.

12-volt fridges are similar to camping fridges but run on a 12-volt battery. They are popular in RVs or on boats. On average, they require between 40 watts and 120 watts to run.

Your refrigerator needs to run constantly to keep your food at a safe temperature. When we refer to “use,” we mean how often you open or close the door throughout the day.

Every time you open the door, you increase the temperature in the fridge by introducing warm air. As a result, the fridge needs to work harder to cool the space. That increases the energy demand.

Furthermore, did you know that the amount of food in your fridge can impact its efficiency? When your fridge is too full, it can block airflow, making cooling less efficient. When your fridge is too empty, it takes more energy to maintain a consistent temperature. We recommend keeping your fridge moderately full for the best results!

The ideal internal temperature for a refrigerator is between 35°F and 38°F. Remember, the harder a fridge has to work, the more energy it needs. Each degree below 35°F increases your power requirements by 2-5%. Always check your temperature settings to ensure optimal food safety and energy efficiency.

We’ve all heard, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Why, then, do we keep our important cooling appliances near the oven?

The ambient temperature in your kitchen determines how hard your fridge must work to keep your food cool. The hotter the room, the less efficient your fridge will be. Try to keep your fridge away from your oven, dishwasher, clothes dryer, and direct sunlight.

To calculate how it costs to use your refrigerator for one day, you’ll need to know the following:

1. The wattage of your refrigerator
2. How many hours compressors run per day*
3. Your electricity rate in kilowatt-hours (kWh)

*Note: Though fridges run 24 hours per day, their compressors usually only run for between 8 and 10 hours per day. You may need to consult a manual or manufacturer’s website to find the exact figure.

Then, use the following formula to calculate the cost per day to run your fridge:

(Wattage × Hours per Day​/ 1000) × Electricity Rate = Daily Cost

Assume your refrigerator has a power rating of 150 watts and the compressor runs for 10 hours per day. We’ll also assume you pay an electricity rate of $0.15 per kWh. That’s about average for the United States.

First, plug the wattage and run-time into the formula:

(150 watts x 10 hours / 1000) = 1.5 kWh

That’s how much power your fridge uses per day. To find the cost, multiply your power requirement by your electricity rate:

(1.5 kWh) x 0.15 = 0.225

That’s an approximate cost of 23 cents per day. That’s about $6.75 per month or a little over $80 per year.

If you live in a deregulated energy state, you could be paying less for electricity.

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