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Refrigerator power consumption and electricity cost

Our fridges are permanently connected to power, using electricity. 

Therefore, we need to ensure that our refrigerator’s electricity usage is reasonable and that we don’t waste electricity.

How much power does a refrigerator use

Refrigerators use between 300 and 800 Watts of power, depending on the model.

Nowadays refrigerators are rather efficient, and the electricity cost is quite reasonable. 

Still, if you need to know how much it costs to run your fridge, you need to determine the power consumption and make some basic calculations.

refrigerator power consumption

It is quite straightforward to search on the internet for the power consumption specifications of a specific refrigerator model.

For example, according to this energy label, this fridge uses 389 kWh annually. 

How to calculate power from voltage and current

If you only know the voltage and current of your refrigerator, you can calculate the power consumption in Watts using the calculator below.

 

For more information about Power, Voltage, and Current, scroll down to the ‘Electricity Measurement Units’ section.

Refrigerator electricity cost calculator

Note that this calculator does not account for factors that may increase or decrease your fridge’s electricity consumption. 

If your fridge is old and the gaskets are damaged, the electricity consumption will increase.

If you are a Tetris master and you can pack the food into your fridge super efficiently, you may be able to reduce electricity consumption.

This calculator will give you a good estimation of the electricity cost of your fridge based on its yearly power consumption.

 

For example:

> If your refrigerator has a yearly power consumption of 389 Kilowatts hour (kWh)

> If you are paying 0,217 euros (or dollars or pounds) per every kWh you consume 

You will pay around 78 euros (or dollars, pounds, or…) per year in electricity costs.

Alternatively, this other calculator will give you a good estimation of the electricity usage and the electricity cost of your fridge based on its daily power consumption.

 

For example:

> If your refrigerator has a daily power consumption of 250 Watts (W)

> If you are paying 0,217 euros (or dollars or pounds) per every kWh you consume 

You will be paying around 20 euros (or dollars, pounds, or…) per year in electricity costs.

How much does electricity cost

If you don’t know how much you are paying per kWh, you should be able to find the cost per kWh on your electricity contract or in one of the electricity bills.

how much does electricity cost

Alternatively, if you don’t have access to your contract or your electricity bills, this website does show the electricity cost per country.

Home appliances and devices electricity calculators

A few other examples from our ‘Electricity usage and electricity cost calculators‘ page that may be of your interest:

Refrigerator electricity usage monitor

If you want to know the exact electricity usage of a refrigerator, your best option is to use a plug-in power meter to measure the exact power consumption and electricity cost. 

Clicking on the image below will redirect you to the Amazon page, where you can look at the specifications of the power meter we use for our measurements.

plug in power meter

Our house appliances and devices like the washing machine, the dishwasher, the TV, or the printer are plugged into a wall socket. 

So, with a power consumption meter, we can determine how much electricity our appliances or devices are using, and, more importantly, we can measure the electricity usage over time.

If you want to learn how to use a plug-in power meter to measure your electricity usage and cost, watch this YouTube video.

Plug in power meter

How to lower the electricity bill of a refrigerator

If you think that your fridge is using too much electricity, here there are five simple ways to reduce the power consumption of a fridge:

1.- Keep the fridge full, but not too full

The refrigerator temperature can stay cooler for longer if it is complete. Still, be careful because a too-crowded fridge will reduce airflow and increase the risk of warm areas within your fridge.

2.- Do not put hot food in the fridge

Hot food will force your fridge to use more electricity. Also, the temporary temperature increase can harm the other food in your fridge.

3.- Check the door seals

A damaged gasket will let the excellent air escape forcing your fridge to use more electricity to keep the internal temperature.

4.- Make sure that around your fridge, there is enough space for a correct airflow

Around your fridge, especially behind where the condenser coils are, there should be enough space for air circulation. If your fridge is placed too close to the wall, the condenser will not be able to operate efficiently, increasing electricity usage. Keep a distance of 30 cm between the fridge and the wall

5.- Keep your fridge in a cool area

If your fridge is placed near the cook or the oven or is exposed to direct sunlight, the heat will force your fridge to use more electricity to keep the internal temperature.

Refrigerator electricity usage FAQ

How much electricity does a small refrigerator use?

A small, or mini, refrigerator uses between 55 and 85 Watts per hour.

Knowing the power consumption, the electricity usage over time, and the electricity cost can be calculated using the calculators from our ‘Electricity cost calculator’ section.

How much electricity does a refrigerator use per day?

If you know the refrigerator’s power consumption, the electricity usage and the electricity cost over time can be calculated using the calculators from our ‘Electricity cots calculator’ section.

How much electricity does a refrigerator use per month?

If you know the refrigerator’s power consumption, the electricity usage and the electricity cost over time can be calculated using the calculators from our ‘Electricity cots calculator’ section.

Electricity measurement units

Not everybody is familiar with terms like Watts, Kilowatts, or Kilowatt hours so if you would learn more about them, have a look at this YouTube video that we have prepared about this topic.

What is a Kilowatt hour (kWh)

Electricity measurement units calculators

Or you can have a look to these electricity measurement units calculators to get a better understanding of:

> What is a Watt (W), and how to transform Watts into Kilowatts

> What is a Kilowatt (kW), and how to transform Kilowatts into Kilowatts an hour

> What is a Kilowatt hour (kWh), and how to transform Kilowatts hours into other units

> What are Power (P), Voltage (V), and Current (I)

Watt (W)
Watt (W) wattage calculator
Kilowatt (kW)
Kilowatt (kW) calculator
Kilowatt hour (kWh)
Kilowatt hour (kWh) calculator
Power, voltage, current
Power, voltage, current calculator

Refrigerators and energy conservation

Energy conservation can be defined as the decision and the act of using less energy.

Energy conservation for both benefits you and the environment.

The act of saving and conserving electricity does benefit you because you will be paying less for your energy bills. 

And it also benefits the environment because conserving electricity prevents unnecessary waste of natural resources.

At the individual level, it may not look worth trying to save a few watts here or there. 

Still, every little one counts, and if hundreds or thousands of us save a little every time, it will make an important contribution towards conserving our natural resources.

Energy conservation calculator

If we could reduce our refrigerator’s electricity usage, even a very small amount, it would greatly impact preserving our natural resources.

 

For example, if 9000 households save as little as 10 Watts per day (0,01 kWh) on refrigerators’ electricity usage, that would add to 32850 Kilowatt hours (kWh) saved per year. 

9000 households x 0,01 kWh per day x 365 days per year 

32,850 kWh saved per year

That is a considerable amount of electricity, but let’s add additional perspectives for clarity:

> Assuming an average cost of 0,18 euros (or dollars, pounds, or any other currency) per kWh, we would collectively save nearly 6000 euros annually.

> To produce 32,850 kWh of electricity, it is necessary to use around 17 metric tons of coal or 56 barrels of residual fuel oil.

Look at this page for more information about the number of resources needed to produce electricity.
 

In any case, small energy savings do count when looking into the bigger picture.

Proven ways to save electricity at home

Suppose you are looking for ideas to save electricity at home; look at this YouTube video. We show some useful tips for reducing electricity usage at home and decreasing the electricity bill. 

How to save electricity at home
How to save
How to save
How to earn
How to earn

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