How to Accurately Estimate a Refrigerator’s Energy Cost
For some, picking a fridge is merely choosing the best one to satisfy their needs. For others, it can be a little more complicated, especially if electricity consumption factors into their decision.
These individuals take energy efficiency very seriously, and simply opting for a model with an Energy Star sticker is not enough. For them, accounting for energy consumption, down to the last cent per hour, is vital in their purchase decision.
If you are one of those people trying to figure out exactly how much electricity a fridge uses, here is how you can get an accurate estimation:
Estimating your fridge’s electrical cost
In most cases, any fridge you take a look at will have some form of energy guide to give you an idea of what you can expect. In some cases, you will find it on black and yellow labels on the fridge themselves. If there are none, a simple look at the fridge’s model and a Google search can help get you the information you need from the manufacturers themselves.
Either way, the numbers you will get are estimates of how much electricity the machine uses annually, usually displayed in “kWh” known as kilowatt-hours. The cost is generally based on the average electricity rate, which will differ from location to location. For that reason, the estimates may only be accurate in specific regions and not yours.
To get a more accurate estimate of your fridge’s annual electrical cost, identify your electricity rate, and then multiply it by the total kilowatt-hour stated on the energy guide. The number you get will be the annual cost, which you can then divide by twelve to estimate its monthly electrical cost.
Example of estimating the monthly electrical cost
If you need further clarification, here is an easy example of what you should do:
Let us say you find that your electricity rates are $0.05 per kWh. Since your fridge will be running 24/7, that is virtually 5 cents every hour. Now, if you have a refrigerator running at about 1,000 kWh every year, that means you are paying $50 to run it every year, $4.10 every month, and approximately $0.13 every day.
All you need to figure out is how much the fridge is estimated to consume every year and figure out how much you are paying per kWh. With those two numbers, you can get a pretty accurate estimate of what you will be paying to use your fridge in terms of electrical cost.
Conclusion
By understanding how you can accurately estimate a fridge’s monthly cost in energy consumption, you will be able to sit down and choose the most energy-efficient refrigerators around.
That being said, there are many other factors you may want to consider when purchasing a fridge, such as size, compartments, and the like. All of these, along with figuring out monthly electrical costs, will ensure that you find the perfect fridge that offers a good balance between price and features!
Are you looking for more information about fridges to make the right purchasing decision? Pixel Fridge has all the information that you need. If you want to learn how much it costs to run a mini-fridge or what you need to do to clean one, check out our other blog posts and sign up for our newsletter today.