Refrigerator or Freezer Cost Calculator
Written by Thierno Sadou Diallo, formula verified per our methodology • Last checked on 9/9/2026
A refrigerator or freezer's annual cost is calculated with annual consumption (kWh/year, shown on the EU energy label) × price per kWh. A recent 200 kWh/year appliance at the French regulated tariff (€0.2001/kWh) costs about €40 a year.
Explanation
Unlike most household appliances, a refrigerator or freezer runs continuously, day and night, with a compressor that automatically switches on and off to maintain the set temperature — its consumption therefore doesn't depend on a daily usage time chosen by the user, unlike an appliance such as an oven or an air conditioner. That's why the EU energy label, mandatory on these appliances since 1994 and reformatted in 2021 (A-to-G scale), directly states an annual consumption in kWh, measured by the manufacturer under a standardized continuous-operation protocol, rather than an instantaneous wattage as on other appliances. This calculator starts directly from that label figure to give the real cost, without needing to estimate an on/off cycle that's impossible to know precisely from the outside. A recent class-A refrigerator generally consumes between 150 and 250 kWh a year, while a fridge-freezer combo or an older appliance (often far less efficient, since the energy scale has been tightened several times) can exceed 350 to 400 kWh a year — a gap that sometimes justifies replacing an old appliance before it fails completely, since the annual electricity surcharge can represent a significant share of a new appliance's price over its total lifespan. For the electricity cost of another appliance whose use is set in hours per day, see our electricity cost calculator.
Example: a recent 200 kWh/year refrigerator
Inputs
Annual consumption: 200 kWh/year. Price per kWh: €0.2001.
Calculation
Annual cost = 200 × 0.2001 = €40.02. Monthly cost = 40.02 ÷ 12 ≈ €3.34. Daily cost = 40.02 ÷ 365 ≈ €0.11.
Result
This appliance costs about €40 a year, or about €3.34 a month.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find my refrigerator or freezer's annual consumption?
It's shown directly on the EU energy label affixed to the appliance (mandatory since 1994, with an A-to-G scale since the 2021 reform), generally expressed in kWh per year. If the original label is gone, this information remains available in the manufacturer's technical sheet, often accessible online from the appliance's exact model.
Why doesn't this calculator ask for a wattage, like other appliances?
Because a refrigerator or freezer doesn't run at constant power for a chosen duration: its compressor switches on and off automatically depending on the internal temperature, door openings, the room's ambient temperature, and the amount of food stored. The annual consumption shown on the energy label already accounts for this actual cycle, measured in a lab, which makes it more reliable than an estimate based on an instantaneous wattage and an assumed usage time.
Does an old refrigerator really consume much more than a recent model?
Yes, often significantly: improvements in insulation, compressors, and electronic controls have lowered the typical consumption of a standard refrigerator by several hundred kWh a year over the last two decades. An appliance over 10-15 years old can therefore consume two to three times more than an equivalent recent model, which sometimes makes early replacement worthwhile even before a breakdown, accounting for both the electricity cost avoided and the manufacturing footprint of the new appliance.