Energy & Cost

What a fridge costs to run, year over year, and which models pull their weight.

• The 25 Most Efficient Full-Size Refrigerators You Can Buy Right Now

  Ranked by kWh per cubic foot. The 25 most energy-efficient full-size refrigerators in our catalog, with each model's capacity, annual cost, and price tier.

• Big Fridge, Small Bill: Large-Capacity Models With Low Annual Energy Use

  Bigger refrigerators don't have to mean bigger electricity bills. Here's the shortlist of 25+ cubic foot models that beat the layout median on annual kWh.

• ENERGY STAR vs. ENERGY STAR Most Efficient: The Real Difference

  ENERGY STAR is a floor. ENERGY STAR Most Efficient is a top band. Here's what each one means in 2026 and how much energy savings the gap is actually worth.

• How We Calculate a Refrigerator's Annual Operating Cost (and How You Can)

  Annual kWh times your local rate equals your yearly fridge bill. Here's the calculation method, the rate sources to use, and how to adjust for state variation.

• Do Ice Makers and Water Dispensers Raise Energy Use? What the Data Shows

  An automatic ice maker adds 15 to 36 kWh a year. A water dispenser adds less. Here's the actual energy data on these two common refrigerator features.

• kWh per Cubic Foot: The One Number That Tells You if a Fridge Is Efficient

  Annual kWh by itself doesn't tell you much. Divide by cubic feet and you get the cleanest efficiency metric in the catalog. Full percentile breakdown.

• The Least Efficient Refrigerators We Track, and What They'd Cost You Over 10 Years

  The worst energy performers in our catalog and what those numbers look like in 10-year electricity bills. Why poor efficiency happens and how to spot it.

• Mini Fridge Energy Costs: Cheaper to Run Than You'd Guess?

  Mini fridges are inefficient per cubic foot but cheap in absolute terms. The median compact runs $43 a year. Here's what each subtype actually costs.

• The Most Energy-Efficient Refrigerator Layouts, Ranked by Our Data

  Built-ins and top freezers run the most efficient per cubic foot. Here's the layout-by-layout energy ranking with the cubic-feet and dollar-per-year numbers.

• Refrigerator Brands Ranked by Average Energy Use Across Every Model We Track

  Per-brand annual kWh medians from 5,992 refrigerator spec sheets. Which manufacturers ship the most efficient portfolios, and where the brand-tier patterns sit.

• What It Costs to Run a Refrigerator in 2026, by Size and Style

  The annual electricity cost of every major refrigerator layout in 2026, calculated from real spec sheets and the current EIA national average residential rate.

• Does Wi-Fi Make a Fridge Use More Power? Smart vs. Non-Smart Models Compared

  A Wi-Fi-connected refrigerator's radio adds 9 to 18 kWh per year, about $3 in electricity. Smart-feature door alerts can save more energy than the radio adds.