Cost to run a drinks cooler
A drinks cooler typically uses 143 kWh a year, which costs £37.64 at 26.32p/kWh: about £3.14 a month.
A year of running costs
£37.64 a year
That is 143 kWh. Used as set, it comes to £3.14 a month and £37.64 a year.
On the energy label as kWh/annum or kWh a year.
| Period | Cost | Energy | CO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| A day | 10.3p | 0.39 kWh | 85 g |
| A month | £3.14 | 11.9 kWh | 2.6 kg |
| A year | £37.64 | 143 kWh | 31.1 kg |
How we calculated this
143 kWh a year is how an energy label rates it: measured over normal running, with the compressor switching on and off as it does. That is far more reliable than its wattage, which it only draws part of the time.
The figures are for ENERGY STAR certified models sold in the US and Canada. Certified models are more efficient than the average model on sale, and many are larger than the ones sold in Europe, so an older or less efficient one will use more. The power shown is the average over every hour of the year, worked out from the annual figure: a compressor draws more than that while it runs and nothing while it is off.
The starting use for a drinks cooler, all year round, is where the calculator starts, not a measurement of your home: change it to how you use yours. A day is the average across the week, and a month is a twelfth of a 365-day year.
Electricity costs 26.32p/kWh. That is the published figure for the United Kingdom, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026, from Ofgem. Average for England, Scotland and Wales, paying by Direct Debit. No VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Standing charges are left out: you pay them whether or not the appliance runs.
Emissions use 0.217 kg CO2e per kWh, the lifecycle intensity of electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2025, from Ember, via Our World in Data. Lifecycle means building the power stations and supplying their fuel are counted too. It is the grid’s average, not the particular power station an extra appliance brings on.
What drives the cost
A drinks cooler holds bottles and cans at a cool temperature rather than fridge cold, so it runs less than a fridge does: across 175 certified models the median uses 143 kWh a year, which costs £37.64 at 26.32p/kWh.
Also called: wine cooler, wine fridge, beverage fridge, beverage cooler, bottle cooler.
What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US
For a drinks cooler used as typical (all year round), at each country’s published average electricity price.
| Country | Electricity price | A year |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26.32p/kWh | £37.64 |
| United States (average) | 18.19¢/kWh | $26.01 |
| Ireland | €0.4042/kWh | €57.80 |
| Germany | 0,3869 €/kWh | 55,33 € |
| France | 0,2561 €/kWh | 36,62 € |
| Spain | 0,2669 €/kWh | 38,17 € |
| Italy | 0,2966 €/kWh | 42,41 € |
| Netherlands | € 0,2558/kWh | € 36,58 |
Compared with similar appliances
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | A year, typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drinks cooler | 16.3 W | — | £37.64 |
| Mini fridge | 28.1 W | — | £64.75 |
| Fridge | 32.9 W | — | £75.80 |
How to spend less on it
- Fill it and leave it: opening it often lets the cold out.
- Keep it out of the sun and away from heat, and leave room behind it.
Questions
How much does a drinks cooler cost to run a year?
A typical one uses 143 kWh a year, which costs £37.64 at 26.32p/kWh, about £3.14 a month.
How many watts does a drinks cooler use?
Most draw between 11.4 W and 22.1 W while running, and 16.3 W is typical. The rating is on the label or in the manual.
How much does a wine cooler cost to run?
The median certified cooler uses 143 kWh a year, which costs £37.64 at 26.32p/kWh. Across models, most use between 100 kWh a year and 193 kWh a year.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators (open data), ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency, 26 September 2026. “ENERGY STAR certified coolers, annual energy: median 143 kWh a year across 175 certified models, 10th to 90th percentile 100 kWh a year to 193 kWh a year (models where type in('Cooler','Compact Cooler')).”
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