To estimate your fridge’s electrical cost, you also need to know the energy usage in terms of watts and what factors affect power consumption. Plus, we’ve included some great tips and lifestyle changes that will help you reduce your electricity consumption and turn lower your bill. 

How Much Electricity Does a Refrigerator Use?

Different factors determine how much electricity a refrigerator uses. These factors range from the type, model, and size of a fridge, location, season, condition of the refrigerator, and how often you open the door. 

If we’re talking about the type, domestic fridges can be anywhere between 300-800 watts. This translates to 3 to 6 amps and 120 voltage. Wattage should be listed on your appliance on a yellow label. However, if it isn’t, you should find the volts and amps your fridge uses and multiply them to get the wattage. 

Appliances like refrigerators have higher starting watts and lesser running wattage, about ⅓ times the starting wattage. So, if a refrigerator has 500 watts starting, it will run at around 167 watts. The electricity consumption of such a fridge would be 0.176 kWh per hour, and for 24 hours, it would be 4kWh

Most fridges only need a few seconds on the starting wattage to kick things up and switch to running wattage. 

Types of Refrigerators and Average Power Consumption

Most typical house fridges use 360-780 watts for starting and 90-18- watts for running. However, the average power consumption of a refrigerator depends on its type, model, and make. Let’s look into the different types of refrigerators and average power consumption to get an idea of how many watts a refrigerator uses. 

Mini Fridge:

While smaller than kitchen fridges, mini refrigerators are compact and easy to install. They are a great food storage option in dorms, offices, bedrooms, etc. Plus, if you want to store items besides food, like medication and beauty products, in stores, they are a great option. On average, a mini fridge requires around 280-360 starting watts and 70-90 running watts. 

Top-Mount Freezer Refrigerator: 

Top-mount freezers are fridges with a freezer on top and a food compartment on the bottom. They are considered the most energy-efficient because the compressor is at the bottom, away from the freezer. Hence, keeping the heat generated by the compressor out is easier. 

Top-mount freezer refrigerators use considerably less power than bottom-mount freezer refrigerators (freezer on the bottom). On average, top-mount freezers use 360kWh, which means they use 41 watts per hour for running.   

Side-by-Side Refrigerator: 

A side-by-side refrigerator has two compartments, side-by-side. One compartment is the freezer, and the other is the fresh food compartment. It takes 720-800 watts to start and consumes 180-200 watts when running. 

With side-by-side refrigerators, you can see both fresh and frozen food at eye level and don’t need to bend down. Moreover, they come with larger freezer sizes (as big as your fresh food compartment!), an upgrade from a bottom or top freezer. Also, these fridges have more organizational features, like adjustable shelves and water and ice dispensers. 

How Much Does It Cost to Power a Refrigerator?

Your electricity bill only contains the amount you are charged. It doesn’t list how much each appliance contributes to the energy bill. Let's assume your fridge’s running power is 167 watts, and we are applying state average rates to your monthly and yearly bills. 

Then, for California, with 22.00 ¢ / kWh, it would be $26.84 per month and $322 per year. Similarly, for New York (rate is 20.59 ¢ / kWh), it would be $25.12 per month and $301 per year. This difference is due to the varying rates of electricity in different states. All average electricity rates are based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.

If you know your state’s rate, you can calculate how much power your fridge is taking each month. 

Tips for Reducing Refrigerator Energy Usage

Is there any way to reduce my fridge’s electrical usage? Well, there are some great cost-efficient tips you can cut down on your refrigerator’s energy cost. Not only will it lower your bill or lead to a better sustainable planet. 

Set it at the Right Temperature:

Your fridge has a switch that allows you to set it at a certain temperature. You can use this switch to adjust your fridge’s temperature accordingly to save costs. You can set it at a high, like 5-6, in summer, based on the outside temperature. Just the same, in winter, you can keep it at a lower value, like 3 or 4. This will help you conserve power, keep your food fresh, and reduce energy consumption. 

Keep away from Heat Zones:

It’s normal to place refrigerators in the kitchen or even on the balcony. However, what you don’t know is that this increases power consumption. It’s pretty hot in the kitchen because of all the cooking, and a balcony receives direct sunlight. To cool the food, your refrigerator must do double or continuous work to optimize and regulate the temperature. It needs to continuously release cool air, and it consumes more electricity to do this. 

Furthermore, don’t place hot food in the fridge; let it cool down first. When you place a portion of hot food into the fridge, its internal cool temperature suddenly changes, and it consumes more electricity to cool it down again. 

Regular Clean-up:

Regularly cleaning appliances like refrigerators keeps them in working condition. Too much frost accumulating in your freezer will harm the cooling effect and increase power consumption. Regularly defrosting all the ice and cleaning your fridge helps not only reduce energy wastage but also preserve its cooling capacity. Plus, it increases your fridge’s durability and longevity. 

Good Fridge Handling Habits to Adopt:

Some more fridge habits to integrate into your lifestyle are: 

• Open the fridge door as little as possible to keep the fridge cool
• Don’t overfill the fridge. Only place as many items as your fridge can take. Overfilling reduces cooling capacity
• Defrosting food inside the fridge keeps the fridge cool and also defrosts your food better

Powering Your Fridge with Solar Energy: 

All the other tips focus on living and lifestyle. But if you want an innovative and effective solution for your energy costs, go solar. Sun is a renewable source, so you can officially go off the grid when you harness its power. 

While the initial cost of solar panels like BLUETTI PV420 Solar Panel is high, they automatically pay for themselves in a few years. You can decrease your electricity bill by half or even less than what you pay now With solar power. 

And if you want to get off the grid, you can combine your solar panel with a solar generator or a portal power station like BLUETTI AC180 Solar Portable Power Station. It offers a 2700W powerlifting mode, 1152W larger capacity, smart control via BLUETTI App, etc.

How to Choose the Right Solar Generator for Your Refrigerator?

You must consider several factors to choose the right solar generator for your refrigerator. The three factors below are the most important. Still additionally, you should make sure your solar generator is portable (if you want). Plus, safety features like a cooling system, overcharge protection, etc., are a huge bonus and really important. 

There are many solar generator brands like BLUETTI,  Jackery Solar Generators, Anker Power Stations, and so much more! You have to look for the one that suits you.  

The BLUETTI EP500 offers features like a 2000W pure sine wave inverter with a  6000+ charge cycle. It’s movable, offers app remote control, and is a great off-grid energy storage option. 

Estimate Your Fridge’s Power Needs: 

To choose a solar generator with sufficient capacity to meet your fridge’s energy needs, you need to check how many watts a refrigerator uses. You simply need to locate a yellow label. It will either contain watts or volts and amps data. To calculate your wattage, multiply volts and amps. 

Determine Hours of Use: 

Another thing you need to know to choose a solar generator is how much electricity your fridge uses daily. To find this, estimate your fridge's daily hours and multiply this by the wattage. It will give you the energy requirement in watts-hour (Wh). On average, a fridge runs around 9.5 hours a day. This value takes into account factors like seasonal changes. 

Fridge Start-Up Wattage:

Refrigerators have a higher starting wattage than the running wattage. It’s usually 2-3 higher, and the compressor needs this wattage to turn on and regulate the inside temperature. If the running wattage is 780 watts, and starting is 2x times at 1560 watts, you need a battery-powered solar generated that can stand 1560 watts. 

Look into Battery Capacity:

If you’re using a solar generator as a backup power source, you need to know the working hours of the fridge. You need to choose a battery capacity that can withstand your usage hours. Moreover, suppose you want your fridge on solar full-time. In that case, you must either find a big enough battery capacity or use an external one. Be sure to check if the solar generator you’re buying allows for external batteries. 

FAQs about Refrigerator Power Consumption

Q. How many watts does it take to run a full-size refrigerator?

An average home refrigerator takes 350-780 watts, but the wattage can differ based on the size and type. It also depends on factors like the starting wattage of the fridge, daily consumption, external temperature, etc. 

Q. Can a battery-powered generator run a refrigerator?

Absolutely! You can run the refrigerator on a battery-powered generator. These generators offer a stable power source, and your fridge will function normally even during a power outage. However, the duration depends on the generator’s battery capacity, so buy a generator that can cater to your fridge. 

Q. What are ENERGY STAR appliances?

ENERGY STAR is a label you find on appliances. Appliances with this label are energy-efficient and consume less electricity. They are certified by the ENERGY STAR program, a project of the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). 

Q. Can you save cost on energy bills by going solar?

By using the Sun’s energy, we can reduce our reliance on the grid and save cost on electricity bills. On average, going solar will reduce your monthly energy bill by 40-70%. You now have an alternative source of energy. 

Final Thoughts

After understanding how many watts does a refrigerator use, you have to make some lifestyle choices. Consider switching to solar power if you’re serious about reducing your power consumption. And if you don’t have the budget now, use the tips to save and conserve energy. 

Moreover, why not upgrade your fridge if you’re using an older model? A new, energy-efficient refrigerator will help save energy and automatically lower your electricity bill.