Refrigerator vs chest freezer: which costs less to run?
$33 a year less with chest freezer
- Refrigerator, a month
- $6.07
- Chest freezer, a month
- $3.29
- Difference, a month
- $2.78
Each at its typical use: refrigerator plugged in all year, using the ENERGY STAR typical annual consumption; chest freezer plugged in all year, using the ENERGY STAR typical annual consumption. At the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Side by side
| Refrigerator | Chest freezer | |
|---|---|---|
| An hour | $0.01 | $0.00 |
| A day | $0.20 | $0.11 |
| A month | $6.07 | $3.29 |
| A year | $72.81 | $39.43 |
| Energy a year | 397 kWh | 215 kWh |
In the 10 largest states
Questions
Is it cheaper to run a refrigerator or a chest freezer?
Chest freezer costs $33.38 less a year ($2.78 a month) at the US average rate. Each at its typical use: refrigerator plugged in all year, using the ENERGY STAR typical annual consumption; chest freezer plugged in all year, using the ENERGY STAR typical annual consumption.
How much more does refrigerator cost to run?
About 1.8 times as much: $72.81 a year versus $39.43.
How much does a refrigerator cost per hour?
$0.01 an hour, against $0.00 an hour for a chest freezer, at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Does the answer change by state?
The ratio between the two stays the same everywhere because both use the same electricity; the dollar gap grows where rates are higher. See the table of the 10 most populous states above.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- ENERGY STAR: Draft 1 Version 5.0 residential refrigerator and freezer specification
- U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Saver
- ENERGY STAR: Freezers
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.