Cost to run a fridge
A fridge typically uses 288 kWh a year, which costs £75.80 at 26.32p/kWh: about £6.32 a month.
A year of running costs
£75.80 a year
That is 288 kWh. Used as set, it comes to £6.32 a month and £75.80 a year.
On the energy label as kWh/annum or kWh a year.
| Period | Cost | Energy | CO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| A day | 20.8p | 0.79 kWh | 172 g |
| A month | £6.32 | 24.0 kWh | 5.2 kg |
| A year | £75.80 | 288 kWh | 62.6 kg |
How we calculated this
288 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 fridge, 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 fridge with no freezer compartment runs every hour of the year, so what it costs is set by the energy label’s figure for a year. Across 294 certified models the median uses 288 kWh a year, and most use between 230 kWh a year and 332 kWh a year. At 26.32p/kWh the median costs £75.80.
Also called: refrigerator, larder fridge, under-counter fridge, single-door fridge.
What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US
For a fridge used as typical (all year round), at each country’s published average electricity price.
| Country | Electricity price | A year |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26.32p/kWh | £75.80 |
| United States (average) | 18.19¢/kWh | $52.39 |
| Ireland | €0.4042/kWh | €116.41 |
| Germany | 0,3869 €/kWh | 111,43 € |
| France | 0,2561 €/kWh | 73,76 € |
| Spain | 0,2669 €/kWh | 76,87 € |
| Italy | 0,2966 €/kWh | 85,42 € |
| Netherlands | € 0,2558/kWh | € 73,67 |
Compared with similar appliances
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | A year, typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fridge | 32.9 W | — | £75.80 |
| Fridge freezer | 54 W | — | £124.49 |
| Mini fridge | 28.1 W | — | £64.75 |
| Upright freezer | 50 W | — | £115.28 |
How to spend less on it
- Keep the door seals clean and tight, and shut the door quickly: warm air in makes the compressor work harder.
- Keep it away from the oven, the dishwasher and direct sun, and leave space behind it for the heat to escape.
- Do not set it colder than food needs: the colder it is, the more it costs.
Questions
How much does a fridge cost to run a year?
A typical one uses 288 kWh a year, which costs £75.80 at 26.32p/kWh, about £6.32 a month.
How many watts does a fridge use?
Most draw between 26.3 W and 37.9 W while running, and 32.9 W is typical. The rating is on the label or in the manual.
Is a fridge on its own cheaper to run than a fridge freezer?
Yes, in the certified models here: it has no freezer to keep at a much lower temperature, and the median fridge uses 288 kWh a year. What you save you may spend again on a separate freezer.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators (open data), ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency, 26 September 2026. “ENERGY STAR certified freezerless and single-door refrigerators, annual energy: median 288 kWh a year across 294 certified models, 10th to 90th percentile 230 kWh a year to 332 kWh a year (models where type='Freezerless and Single Door').”
- Refrigerators, ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency, read on 26 September 2026. “On average, an old refrigerator uses about 20% more energy than a model that has earned the ENERGY STAR.”
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