The short answer
A new ENERGY STAR 20 cu ft refrigerator costs about $69.92 a year to run at the U.S. average electricity rate of 18.16¢ per kWh (August 2026). A fridge over 15 years old costs about $83.90 a year, from $58.77 in Nevada to $217.97 in Hawaii.
The same fridge in every state
A fridge over 15 years old (about 462 kWh a year), at each state's average residential rate (August 2026).
| Alabama | $75.44 | $6.29 | 16.33¢ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $135.87 | $11.32 | 29.41¢ |
| Arizona | $69.53 | $5.79 | 15.05¢ |
| Arkansas | $66.39 | $5.53 | 14.37¢ |
| California | $137.45 | $11.45 | 29.75¢ |
| Colorado | $79.33 | $6.61 | 17.17¢ |
| Connecticut | $113.24 | $9.44 | 24.51¢ |
| Delaware | $86.39 | $7.20 | 18.70¢ |
| District of Columbia | $120.03 | $10.00 | 25.98¢ |
| Florida | $69.25 | $5.77 | 14.99¢ |
| Georgia | $73.46 | $6.12 | 15.90¢ |
| Hawaii | $217.97 | $18.16 | 47.18¢ |
| Idaho | $61.77 | $5.15 | 13.37¢ |
| Illinois | $89.26 | $7.44 | 19.32¢ |
| Indiana | $78.63 | $6.55 | 17.02¢ |
| Iowa | $78.82 | $6.57 | 17.06¢ |
| Kansas | $71.47 | $5.96 | 15.47¢ |
| Kentucky | $63.76 | $5.31 | 13.80¢ |
| Louisiana | $59.46 | $4.95 | 12.87¢ |
| Maine | $148.35 | $12.36 | 32.11¢ |
| Maryland | $98.87 | $8.24 | 21.40¢ |
| Massachusetts | $140.82 | $11.73 | 30.48¢ |
| Michigan | $106.21 | $8.85 | 22.99¢ |
| Minnesota | $79.46 | $6.62 | 17.20¢ |
| Mississippi | $66.67 | $5.56 | 14.43¢ |
| Missouri | $74.01 | $6.17 | 16.02¢ |
| Montana | $71.93 | $5.99 | 15.57¢ |
| Nebraska | $62.55 | $5.21 | 13.54¢ |
| Nevada | $58.77 | $4.90 | 12.72¢ |
| New Hampshire | $127.70 | $10.64 | 27.64¢ |
| New Jersey | $113.70 | $9.47 | 24.61¢ |
| New Mexico | $76.28 | $6.36 | 16.51¢ |
| New York | $132.36 | $11.03 | 28.65¢ |
| North Carolina | $69.07 | $5.76 | 14.95¢ |
| North Dakota | $61.49 | $5.12 | 13.31¢ |
| Ohio | $89.54 | $7.46 | 19.38¢ |
| Oklahoma | $68.47 | $5.71 | 14.82¢ |
| Oregon | $73.55 | $6.13 | 15.92¢ |
| Pennsylvania | $100.58 | $8.38 | 21.77¢ |
| Rhode Island | $130.19 | $10.85 | 28.18¢ |
| South Carolina | $72.81 | $6.07 | 15.76¢ |
| South Dakota | $69.99 | $5.83 | 15.15¢ |
| Tennessee | $62.00 | $5.17 | 13.42¢ |
| Texas | $73.50 | $6.13 | 15.91¢ |
| Utah | $61.49 | $5.12 | 13.31¢ |
| Vermont | $110.14 | $9.18 | 23.84¢ |
| Virginia | $81.50 | $6.79 | 17.64¢ |
| Washington | $67.59 | $5.63 | 14.63¢ |
| West Virginia | $75.35 | $6.28 | 16.31¢ |
| Wisconsin | $89.67 | $7.47 | 19.41¢ |
| Wyoming | $66.67 | $5.56 | 14.43¢ |
How it works
The formula
a month = a year ÷ 12
Assumptions
- The EnergyGuide figure is measured in a lab at a steady room temperature. A fridge in a hot kitchen or garage, opened often or packed with warm food, uses more.
- Presets: an ENERGY STAR 20 cu ft top-freezer at 385 kWh a year and the federal limit for that model, 428 (ENERGY STAR listing); a fridge over 15 years old at about 20% more than ENERGY STAR (ENERGY STAR); and a 1970s fridge at about 1,800 kWh a year, the average new fridge in 1974 (Appliance Standards Awareness Project).
- Freezers: type the kWh from the label; chest freezers usually use less than uprights of the same size.
Worked example: an old fridge vs a new one
- Over 15 years old: 462 kWh × 18.16¢ = $83.90 a year
- New ENERGY STAR: 385 kWh × 18.16¢ = $69.92 a year
- Saving: $13.98 a year
Ways to cut the cost
- Set it right: 37°F for the fridge and 0°F for the freezer are cold enough.
- Clean the coils under or behind the fridge once or twice a year.
- Check the door seals: a dollar bill closed in the door should be hard to pull out.
- Unplug the second fridge when you don't need it, or replace an old one with a small efficient model.
- Keep it away from heat: not next to the oven, in direct sun or in a hot garage.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to run a refrigerator?
A new ENERGY STAR 20 cu ft fridge uses about 385 kWh a year: about $69.92 a year, or $5.83 a month, at the U.S. average of 18.16¢ per kWh (EIA, August 2026). One over 15 years old costs about $83.90; a 1970s fridge can cost $326.88 a year.
Is it worth replacing an old refrigerator?
If it's from the 1970s, often yes: at about 1,800 kWh a year it costs $256.96 a year more than a new ENERGY STAR model at the U.S. average rate. A 15-year-old fridge saves less, about $13.98 a year, so replace it when it fails, not for the savings alone.
Does a second fridge in the garage cost a lot?
It adds a whole fridge's cost: about $83.90 a year for a 15-year-old one at the U.S. average rate, more in a hot garage where it runs longer. Unplugging it when it isn't needed is one of the easiest savings.
Where do I find my fridge's kWh?
On the yellow EnergyGuide label (estimated yearly electricity use in kWh), in the manual, or in the ENERGY STAR product finder by model number. For an old fridge with no label, a plug-in watt meter over a week gives the real figure.
How many watts does a refrigerator use?
About 100 to 200 watts while the compressor runs, but it only runs part of the time, so yearly kWh is the better number. A new 20 cu ft fridge averages about 45 W around the clock.