How Many Watts Does a Refrigerator Use? Every ENERGY STAR Model, Measured

How the index is built

Download the calculations (CSV)

How many watts does a refrigerator use? 41.4 W for a top freezer, 73.1 W for a side-by-side

Federal ratings give annual kWh, not watts. Dividing each certified model's annual energy by the 8,760 hours in a year turns it into the steady draw it would have if the compressor never cycled. On that basis, door layout sorts refrigerators more cleanly than any other feature in the dataset.

Average watts: Rated kWh per year x 1000 / 8,760. It is the round-the-clock average. A compressor actually runs at a higher draw part of the time and at zero the rest.

The ENERGY STAR dataset downloaded on November 2, 2026 lists 4,573 refrigerators for the US market from 241 brands. Full-size models (top freezer, bottom freezer, side-by-side and all-refrigerator) number 2,698, with a median rated use of 465 kWh a year, or 53.1 W. The median model in this group stores 18.6 cubic feet.

Side-by-side models draw 1.77 times what top freezers do at the median, partly because they are bigger (24.8 against 18.0 cubic feet at the median) and partly because most carry through-the-door ice. Wine and beverage coolers have the lowest draw, 17.4 W, and the largest margin under their federal limit, 29.5% at the median, because ENERGY STAR asks coolers to beat the standard by 10% to 30% depending on type, against 10% for refrigerators.

Bigger boxes draw more watts but fewer per cubic foot: 2.81 W falls to 2.24 W

Within each door style, draw climbs with volume. Per adjusted cubic foot it falls, so one large fridge beats two small ones on energy.

Bottom freezers go from a median of 51.5 W at 17.5 cubic feet or less to 64.5 W at 17.6 to 22.5 and 78.2 W at 22.6 to 29.5 cubic feet. Top freezers rise more gently, from 36.1 W to 42.1 W and 48.2 W. Only 9 side-by-sides are listed at 17.5 cubic feet or less, so that 47.9 W cell is thin.

Adjusted volume: The federal sizing measure: fresh-food volume plus freezer volume multiplied by a factor above one, so freezer space counts for more. Federal limits are written as a function of it.

By adjusted volume, the median full-size refrigerator-freezer draws 35.7 W up to 15 cubic feet and 83.7 W at 35 to 40 cubic feet, while watts per adjusted cubic foot drop from 2.81 to 2.24. The federal formulas build this in: each class allows a fixed base load plus a smaller increment per cubic foot.

Certified models sit 4.6 to 7.5 watts under the federal ceiling for their class

Every refrigerator sold in the US must meet a class-specific maximum set in 10 CFR 430.32(a). ENERGY STAR models clear it by about a tenth, which at typical sizes is a few watts.

The current limits apply to refrigerators made on or after September 15, 2014 and do not cover units above 39 cubic feet. For each common DOE class, KBR took the median adjusted volume of certified models and applied the class formula. A top freezer without an icemaker at 18.8 adjusted cubic feet may use up to 385 kWh a year (43.9 W); the certified median in that class is 39.4 W.

Across all US-listed certified refrigerators, the median model is 10.4% below its own federal limit, and 19.7% of listings are flagged as meeting the ENERGY STAR Most Efficient 2025 criteria. Icemakers and door ice are written into the limits: class 5A, a bottom freezer with through-the-door ice, is allowed 9.25 kWh per adjusted cubic foot plus 475.4 kWh, against 8.85 plus 317.0 for class 5 with no icemaker.

DOE adopted tighter standards in 2024, with compliance on January 31, 2029 or January 31, 2030 depending on class; DOE estimated 11 percent energy savings against no new standards. The dates and what they mean for an ageing fridge are covered in our report on how long refrigerators last.

Fridges already in US kitchens are modelled at 70.5 W; a matched certified model rates 60.4 W

The signature figure of this report joins two federal datasets. EIA's 2024 household survey says what door style and size of main fridge each home has. The ENERGY STAR index says what a certified model of that kind draws. Weighting one by the other gives the draw of a like-for-like replacement for the typical American main fridge.

In 2024, 29.1% of homes with a fridge had a top-freezer main unit, 28.2% a side-by-side, 27.4% a bottom freezer, 9.2% a one-door model and 5.0% a fridge with three or more doors, according to preliminary RECS microdata. Matching each door-and-size cell to the median certified model in the same type and total-volume band gives a household-weighted 60.4 W. Cells with fewer than 10 listings fell back to the type median; they hold 4.0% of households.

EIA's final 2020 end-use model, calibrated to household bills, put the average main refrigerator at 617.3 kWh a year, or 70.5 W. That is 10.1 W, or 16.7%, above the matched certified figure. The gap is largest for one-door and top-freezer fridges, whose certified medians (33.0 W and 41.4 W) are far below the 59.2 W and 59.0 W modelled in homes. Age is one driver; our report on how long refrigerators last models it by age band, so it is not repeated here.

The same top freezer costs $45.23 a year in North Dakota and $168.47 in Hawaii

Annual cost is rated kWh times the local price. State prices differ by a factor of 3.72, which moves the bill more than the choice between most door styles.

EIA's January to August 2026 average residential price was 18.19 cents per kWh nationally, 12.46 cents in North Dakota (the lowest) and 46.41 cents in Hawaii (the highest). For August alone, the lowest state was Nevada at 12.72 cents and the US average 18.16 cents. KBR uses the eight-month figures because a single summer month is a poor proxy for a year.

At the US average, a median certified compact costs $3.74 a month, a top freezer $5.50, a bottom freezer $8.58 and a side-by-side $9.70. All the fridges in a typical home, on EIA's 2020 model (839.1 kWh), would cost $152.63 a year at 2026 average prices. Whole-home bills by state are in our average electric bill by state report.

Start-up current runs 5.57 times the running current in one compressor datasheet

No federal dataset reports running watts or start-up surge. The figures below come from two manufacturer documents and apply to those products only.

Running watts: The draw while the compressor and fans are on. It is higher than the average because the compressor cycles off.

Start-up surge: The brief current spike when a single-speed compressor motor starts. Datasheets give it as locked-rotor amps (LRA).

Danfoss's datasheet for its B60C5BL compressor, a 1/8 hp unit for R600a refrigerant at 115 V, lists a nominal 78 W and 1.30 A at standard rating conditions and a locked-rotor current of 7.24 A. That is 5.57 times the running current, or about 832.6 volt-amperes at 115 V for the instant before the motor turns. Volt-amperes are not watts, and the datasheet gives no locked-rotor power factor, so no starting-watt figure is claimed here.

Frigidaire's service data sheet for its FRTE193 and FRTI1936 top freezers lists 215 W and 2.2 A at 115 V. The FRTE1936AW is certified at 374 kWh a year, a 42.7 W average, so the sheet's figure is 5.0 times the average draw. The same sheet gives compressor run time of 40 to 62.5% at 70°F; multiplying that by 215 W would far exceed the certified kWh, which shows the 215 W is a rating rather than a measured running draw.

One in three US homes runs two or more refrigerators

Average watts per fridge understates a household's refrigeration load, because a third of homes run more than one.

EIA's 2024 survey (preliminary microdata, May 2026) counts 191.3 million refrigerators in 132.54 million occupied homes, 1.44 per home. 65.4% of households used exactly one, 26.4% exactly two and 7.9% three or more; 0.3% had none. In total, 34.3% (standard error 0.37 points) or 45.47 million households used two or more.

Second fridges tend to be older and kept in garages; that pattern is tabulated in our report on how long refrigerators last. For planning a replacement as part of a kitchen project, see the kitchen remodel timeline and the remodel cost calculator.

Key findings

1. The median full-size ENERGY STAR refrigerator listed for the US averages 53.1 watts (465 kWh a year) as of November 2, 2026, across 2,698 models.^[1]
2. Top-freezer models average 41.4 W at the median (751 listings), bottom-freezer models including French doors 64.6 W (1,543) and side-by-sides 73.1 W (123), November 2026, United States.^[1]
3. Compact refrigerators under 7.75 cubic feet average 28.2 W at the median and wine or beverage coolers 17.4 W, November 2026.^[1]
4. Among full-size certified models, 42.8% average under 50 W and 14.6% average over 75 W (November 2026).^[1]
5. Bottom freezers climb from 51.5 W at 17.5 cubic feet or less to 78.2 W at 22.6 to 29.5 cubic feet; top freezers from 36.1 W to 48.2 W (November 2026).^[1]
6. Per cubic foot, bigger boxes are more efficient: the median falls from 2.81 W per adjusted cubic foot below 15 cubic feet to 2.24 W at 35 to 40 cubic feet.^[1]
7. For a bottom freezer with through-the-door ice at its class median of 33.0 adjusted cubic feet, the federal ceiling (in force since September 15, 2014) is 781 kWh a year, or 89.2 W; the certified median is 81.6 W.^[3][1]
8. KBR analysis: a size- and door-matched certified replacement for the main fridge in the average US home draws 60.4 W; EIA's 2020 end-use model puts the main fridges actually in homes at 70.5 W, 10.1 W or 16.7% higher.^[1][9][11]
9. All refrigerators in a US home with at least one used 839.1 kWh in 2020 on EIA's model, a continuous 95.8 W, and refrigerators took 7.9% of household electricity.^[11]
10. A median certified top freezer cost $66.03 to run at the January to August 2026 US average residential price of 18.19 cents per kWh; $45.23 in North Dakota (12.46 cents) and $168.47 in Hawaii (46.41 cents).^[1][8]
11. A Danfoss 115 V refrigerator compressor datasheet lists locked-rotor current of 7.24 A against a nominal 1.30 A and 78 W running, a 5.57 times start-up current ratio.^[14]
12. Frigidaire's service sheet for its FRTE193 and FRTI1936 top freezers lists 215 W and 2.2 A at 115 V; the FRTE1936AW is certified at 374 kWh a year, a 42.7 W average, so the listed wattage is 5.0 times the average draw.^[15][1]
13. 34.3% of US households (45.47 million) used two or more refrigerators in 2024 and 7.9% used three or more; 191.3 million refrigerators were in use (preliminary RECS 2024).^[9]

Summary for decision makers

• The median US-listed full-size ENERGY STAR refrigerator is rated at 465 kWh a year, an average draw of 53.1 watts (November 2026).
• Door style matters more than brand: the median top freezer averages 41.4 W, the median bottom freezer 64.6 W and the median side-by-side 73.1 W.
• Matching each US household's main fridge (door style and size, RECS 2024) to the median certified model of that kind gives 60.4 W, against 70.5 W that EIA modelled for main fridges in homes in 2020 (KBR analysis).
• Certified models sit 4.6 to 7.5 W under the federal ceiling for their class at typical sizes, a median of 10.4% below it.
• At the January to August 2026 US average of 18.19 cents per kWh, a median top freezer costs $66.03 a year and a side-by-side $116.42; the same side-by-side costs $297.02 in Hawaii.
• Running and start-up watts are not in any federal dataset. One compressor datasheet shows locked-rotor current 5.57 times the running current; one service sheet lists 215 W, 5.0 times the model's certified average.
• 34.3% of US households ran two or more refrigerators in 2024, for 191.3 million fridges in use (preliminary).

Frequently asked questions

Related guides, services and research

• Remodel cost calculator
• How long a kitchen remodel takes
• How Long Does a Water Heater Last? Lifespan Data by Type (2026)
• How Long Does It Take to Get a Building Permit? City Data for Remodels
• How Many Watts Does a Microwave Use? Input vs Cooking Power
• How Much Water Does a Dishwasher Use? Gallons per Cycle, 1988 to 2027
• All kitchen and bath research

Reproduce this analysis

Every figure comes from the files below. The scripts that pulled and computed them are kept with the report and can be re-run.

Data quality and exclusions

• Dropped 341 Canada-only ENERGY STAR listings (Markets field without United States).
• Dropped 4 freezer listings (upright and chest) that appear in the refrigerator dataset.
• No listing lacked an annual energy value (0 removed); 4,573 listings used.
• Compact Cooler and Cooler types were merged into one wine/beverage cooler group (160 listings) and kept out of the full-size medians.
• In the signature metric, door-and-size cells with fewer than 10 certified listings used the type median instead; these cells hold 4.0% of households.
• RECS 2024: 16,676 household records, no records removed; NUMFRIG has no missing codes. RECS 2020: 18,496 records; households with no fridge excluded from per-fridge means.
• EIA price tables: census division subtotals were removed before finding the highest and lowest states.

Methodology

Selection: the primary dataset is the ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators list (Socrata p5st-her9), downloaded as CSV without a key on 2026-11-02 (data updated 2026-11-01). It holds each model's rated annual energy from the DOE test procedure (10 CFR 430 subpart B, appendix A) and its federal maximum. Household data come from EIA's 2024 RECS microdata (preliminary, May 2026) and 2020 RECS microdata (final, with end-use estimates). Prices come from EIA Electric Power Monthly Tables 5.6.A and 5.6.B, released October 23, 2026.

Inclusion and exclusion: listings whose Markets field includes the United States were kept (4,577 of 4,918); 4 freezer listings were dropped, leaving 4,573. Full-size means the top-freezer, bottom-freezer, side-by-side and freezerless types (2,698). Compact refrigerators and coolers are reported separately. Pages that state wattage ranges without a primary source were read for comparison only.

Derived metrics: average watts = kWh per year x 1000 / 8,760. Medians are of listings, not sales-weighted. Federal maxima use the Table 1 formulas in 10 CFR 430.32(a) at each class's median adjusted volume. Cost = kWh x price. The signature metric weights the median certified draw for each door-and-size cell by the share of 2024 households whose main fridge falls in that cell (NWEIGHT). RECS 2024 standard errors use the 60 jackknife replicate weights with coefficient 59/60, per EIA's guide. Every calculation is in scripts/analyze.py and derived_metrics.csv.

Conflicts: pages to beat quote 300 to 800 W as a refrigerator's wattage. Those are ratings without a stated source; the certified average and the manufacturer documents in this report point to far lower average draw. EIA's August and year-to-date price tables name different lowest states (Nevada and North Dakota); the year-to-date table is used for annual cost.

Limitations: certified listings are a more efficient subset of the market, and laboratory ratings omit door openings and food loads. RECS 2020 consumption is modelled, not metered. Running and start-up figures come from two manufacturer documents only. Last updated 2026-11-02.

This report presents published data with its limitations. It is not legal, financial or investment advice.

Sources, ranked by quality

Tier 1: primary and official sources (13)

• [1] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR. ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators (dataset p5st-her9). Snapshot 2026-11-02, data updated 2026-11-01. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [2] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ENERGY STAR. Refrigerators and Freezers Key Product Criteria. Criteria in force since 2021-08-05. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [3] eCFR, Office of the Federal Register. 10 CFR 430.32(a): energy conservation standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers. Text as of 2026-10-29. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [4] eCFR, Office of the Federal Register. 10 CFR 430 subpart B, appendix A: test procedure for refrigerators. Text as of 2026-10-29. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [5] U.S. Department of Energy via Federal Register. Energy Conservation Standards for Refrigerators, Refrigerator-Freezers, and Freezers (direct final rule, 89 FR 3026). Published 2024-01-17. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [6] U.S. Department of Energy via Federal Register. Confirmation of effective and compliance dates (89 FR 50205). Published 2024-06-13. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [7] U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity by state, August 2026. August 2026, released 2026-10-23. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [8] U.S. Energy Information Administration. Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B: average price of electricity by state, year to date. January to August 2026, released 2026-10-23. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [9] U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2024 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) public-use microdata, version 1. 2024 (preliminary, released May 2026). Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [10] U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2024 RECS data pages and release schedule. 2024. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [11] U.S. Energy Information Administration. 2020 RECS public-use microdata, version 7 (final, with end-use estimates). 2020. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [12] U.S. Energy Information Administration. Using the 2024 RECS microdata file to compute estimates and standard errors. 2026. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [13] Ready.gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency. Power Outages. Page accessed 2026-11-02. Accessed 2026-11-02.

Tier 2: trade bodies, market research, company data (2)

• [14] Danfoss. Technical Data Sheet, compressor B60C5BL (R600a, 115 V 60 Hz). Printed 2020-03-11. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [15] Frigidaire (Electrolux). Frigidaire FRTE193 / FRTI1936 top-freezer service data sheet (hosted by AJ Madison). Current models. Accessed 2026-11-02.

Tier 3: journalism and expert commentary (3)

• [16] EnergySage. How many watts does a refrigerator use?. Updated 2026-02-24. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [17] SolarReviews. How Many Watts Does a Refrigerator Use?. Accessed 2026-11-02. Accessed 2026-11-02.
• [18] ElectricityPlans. How Many Watts of Electricity Does a Refrigerator Use?. Accessed 2026-11-02. Accessed 2026-11-02.