Cost to run a fridge freezer
A fridge freezer typically uses 473 kWh a year, which costs £124.49 at 26.32p/kWh: about £10.37 a month.
A year of running costs
£124.49 a year
That is 473 kWh. Used as set, it comes to £10.37 a month and £124.49 a year.
On the energy label as kWh/annum or kWh a year.
| Period | Cost | Energy | CO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| A day | 34.1p | 1.30 kWh | 282 g |
| A month | £10.37 | 39.4 kWh | 8.6 kg |
| A year | £124.49 | 473 kWh | 103 kg |
How we calculated this
473 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 freezer, 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 freezer runs every hour of the year, so what it costs is set by the energy label’s figure for a year, not its power. Across 2,615 certified models the median uses 473 kWh a year, and most use between 333 kWh a year and 698 kWh a year. At 26.32p/kWh the median costs £124.49.
Also called: American fridge freezer, refrigerator, top-freezer refrigerator, side-by-side fridge.
What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US
For a fridge freezer used as typical (all year round), at each country’s published average electricity price.
| Country | Electricity price | A year |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26.32p/kWh | £124.49 |
| United States (average) | 18.19¢/kWh | $86.04 |
| Ireland | €0.4042/kWh | €191.19 |
| Germany | 0,3869 €/kWh | 183,00 € |
| France | 0,2561 €/kWh | 121,14 € |
| Spain | 0,2669 €/kWh | 126,24 € |
| Italy | 0,2966 €/kWh | 140,29 € |
| Netherlands | € 0,2558/kWh | € 120,99 |
Compared with similar appliances
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | A year, typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fridge freezer | 54 W | — | £124.49 |
| Fridge | 32.9 W | — | £75.80 |
| Mini fridge | 28.1 W | — | £64.75 |
| Upright freezer | 50 W | — | £115.28 |
| Chest freezer | 24.9 W | — | £57.38 |
How to spend less on it
- Keep the coils and the vents clear and leave space behind it: a fridge that cannot shed its heat runs longer.
- Let hot food cool before it goes in, and keep the door seals clean and tight: warm air in makes the compressor work harder.
- Do not set it colder than you need: the colder it is, the more it costs.
- A well-stocked fridge holds the cold better than an empty one, but do not block the air vents.
Questions
How much does a fridge freezer cost to run a year?
A typical one uses 473 kWh a year, which costs £124.49 at 26.32p/kWh, about £10.37 a month.
How many watts does a fridge freezer use?
Most draw between 38 W and 79.7 W while running, and 54 W is typical. The rating is on the label or in the manual.
Should I switch a fridge freezer off overnight to save money?
No: it would warm up, the compressor would have to work extra to bring it back down, and the food would be at risk. Most of what you saved would be lost again.
Is it worth replacing an old fridge freezer?
ENERGY STAR says an old refrigerator on average uses noticeably more energy than a certified one, so replacing an old one can save some of the 473 kWh a year a typical certified model uses. Check the energy label of the replacement and weigh the saving against its price.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators (open data), ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency, 26 September 2026. “ENERGY STAR certified fridge freezers (top, bottom and side-by-side freezers), annual energy: median 473 kWh a year across 2,615 certified models, 10th to 90th percentile 333 kWh a year to 698 kWh a year (models where type in('Top Freezer','Bottom Freezer','Side-by-Side')).”
- 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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