How Many Watts Does a Fridge Use?

In a home, fridges are usually one of the largest energy users. Since they are constantly running, they have to use a significant amount of power. But exactly how many watts does a fridge use? 

 

To determine that, you need to know the difference between kilowatts (kW) and kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kW is the unit that measures the rate of power usage, whereas kWh is a calculation that determines the amount of energy used. When you pay your electric bill, for instance, it is based on kWh. 

 

With that in mind, let’s dive in! 

In this article: 

• Average Electricity Consumption for a Refrigerator
• How to Calculate Fridge Energy Use
• Factors Affecting Fridge Energy Consumption
• Ways to Reduce Fridge Energy Consumption
• Making The Best of Fridge Energy Use
• Frequently asked questions 

Average Electricity Consumption for a Refrigerator

The average refrigerator wattage is between 300 and 800 watts (or .3 to .8 kW). Age, size and usage can determine whether a fridge is higher or lower on the wattage scale. So, you’re looking at roughly 2.4 kWh to 6.4 kWh per day, with the fridge actively running an average of eight hours per day. 

 

For comparison, an average air conditioning unit can use roughly 8 kWh per day by running only during the daytime. Although a fridge is a high-energy user, some appliances use even more. 

How to Calculate Fridge Energy Use

With several different types of energy units, such as watts, volts, and amps, it may seem difficult to find out how many kWhs a fridge uses. Don’t worry; all these units work well together once you know the formulas.

Finding the Wattage of Your Fridge

If you look at your fridge’s label, you likely won’t see a wattage measurement. Instead, you’ll find amps and volts. But with a simple formula, you can use those numbers to calculate the wattage of your fridge. 

 

 Volts x Amps = Wattage

 

So, a fridge with 120V and 4A will have a wattage of 480 or .480 kWh. 

Determining Daily kWh Usage

To calculate how much power an appliance is using, try the following formula:

 

Watts x Daily Hours Used / 1000 = Daily kWh 

 

For example, a 500-watt fridge running the average eight hours per day would use about 4 kWh per day. (500 x 8 / 1000 = 4). Dividing by 1000 at the end is crucial since a watt is 1/1000 of a kW. 

Estimating Monthly and Annual kWh Usage

Figuring out how many kWh your fridge uses per month (and year) is a piece of cake when you calculate its daily usage. All you need to do is multiply that daily usage by the number of days in a given month or 365. 

 

For example, a fridge with a 2.4 kWh daily use will use 72 kWh in a 30-day month and 876 kWh per year. To compare, the average kWh of an entire household in the United States is roughly 900 kWh per month, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. 

Factors Affecting Fridge Energy Consumption

As with any appliance, there are many brands, styles and sizes. Some houses use high-capacity French door refrigerators, while others use compact varieties. These factors change how much energy a refrigerator consumes over a day or its lifetime. 

Size and Capacity

When you have a larger refrigerator, it requires more power or kWh. That’s because it can store more items, which requires it to draw additional power for more cooling. The opposite is true for smaller fridges — they don’t require as much power since they can’t store as much. 

 

According to the Department of Energy, the best energy-efficient fridge size is 16-20 cubic feet. 

Age and Efficiency Rating

Older refrigerators tend to use more energy than newer ones. There are a few reasons for this, but generally, older technology is less energy efficient, and appliance parts may be worn out and not operating at full capacity.

 

Efficiency ratings help consumers see how efficient a refrigerator is compared to similar units. You can look at a fridge’s Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) number as an indicator — the lower the number, the more efficient it is.  

Location

Believe it or not, where you have your refrigerator placed in your home can impact how many kWh the fridge uses. To ensure your fridge works at peak efficiency, keep it away from hot appliances, like ovens, and direct sunlight. You should also leave space around it so the condenser coils can circulate air.

Energy Star Certification

Energy Star is an independently verified, government-backed program that determines efficiency ratings for products and practices. It’s overseen by the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. 

 

Refrigerators (or any appliance) are given Energy Star Ratings, comparing their efficiency to similar models. The more stars a unit is given, the higher the efficiency. 

 

Appliances can receive up to 10 stars, though the majority receive one to six.

Ways to Reduce Fridge Energy Consumption

Although we run our refrigerators constantly, there are a few steps we can take to help them use less energy — without unplugging them altogether. 

Proper Refrigerator Maintenance

Maintaining your refrigerator is critical to reducing its energy usage. The easiest maintenance you can do is clean the door gaskets surrounding the fridge doors to keep a tight seal. Ideally, you want to do this with warm water and soap at least twice a year. 

 

Another twice-yearly maintenance task is to clean your refrigerator coils. 

 

These are located on the back or under your fridge, so you’ll need to pull the fridge away from the wall. After unplugging the fridge, use a coil brush and/or vacuum to remove debris from the coils. Doing this helps your fridge run more efficiently. 

Optimal Temperature Settings

A refrigerator set to the coldest possible temperature will use much more energy than one set at a middle point. The most energy-efficient temperature setting is between 35 and 38 degrees for a fridge and 0 to 5 degrees for a freezer. 

Efficient Usage Tips

Everyday habits can make a world of difference in the energy efficiency of your refrigerator. A few simple things you can do are keep the doors fully shut whenever you can, keep the fridge full to maintain its temperature, and don’t put hot food in the fridge. Anytime you make the fridge’s internal temperature higher, it has to work harder to get the temperature back down. 

Defrosting

Defrosting makes a world of difference in energy efficiency. If there is a large ice buildup in the freezer, your fridge has to use more energy to keep everything cool. Anytime you see ¼ to ½ inch of ice, it’s time to defrost. 

Upgrading to an Energy-Efficient Model

Even if your 20-year-old workhorse refrigerator is still operational, that doesn’t mean your household couldn’t benefit from an upgrade. Getting a newer, energy-efficient model can save you a lot of money. Energy Star even has a calculator to determine how much you can save by upgrading. 

 

Upgrading from a 2001-2010 model with a freezer on top of average size and electricity usage, for instance, can save over $140 across five years and reduce carbon pollution by over 411 pounds at the same time.

Making The Best of Fridge Energy Use

Understanding how much electricity your fridge uses is important for maintaining an energy-efficient household. Keeping your refrigerator clean, full and away from heat sources can help keep it running at its best for years to come. 

 

Or, when the time is right, you can upgrade to save money and reduce your environmental footprint at the same time. 

Frequently asked questions 

How much kWh does a fridge use per day? 

To determine how many kWh your fridge uses in a day, you’ll want to use this calculation: watts x daily hours used / 1000. That formula gives you your daily kWh usage. The average rate for 300 to 800-watt fridges is between 2.4 kWh and 6.4 kWh. 

How much kWh does a mini fridge use? 

Since they are smaller than a traditional fridge, mini-fridges use significantly less energy. On average, a mini fridge will use about 1.6 kWh per day or 584 kWh per year.

How much does a fridge cost to run per month? 

How much it costs to operate a fridge depends on the type of fridge you have and how efficiently it runs. The energy cost also depends on where you live, as some places have higher costs than clothes. A 500-watt fridge running at eight hours a day will cost approximately $14.5 per day, according to the energy cost calculator. 

How can I calculate solar requirements for a refrigerator?

To determine the solar requirements for your fridge, you’ll need to take your kWh and divide that by the number of Peak Sun Hours before multiplying by 1.15 for system losses. (kWh / peak sun hours x 1.15) For example, 2.4 kWh / 8 x 1.15 = .35 panels.

How many solar panels does it take to run a refrigerator? 

For a little bit of Solar 101, a single solar panel usually produces around 2 kWh per day. So you would need two to operate a 4 kWh per day fridge running at an average of 500 watts.