Midea MU138SWAR1RC1: running cost
The Midea MU138SWAR1RC1 is certified by ENERGY STAR at 394 kWh a year, about average for its category to run among freezers currently certified.
That $74 is priced at 18.8¢/kWh, the average of all 51 state rates this site tracks. Your own state's rate is one click away.
Efficient, or not, for a freezer
Against the category average of 401 kWh/yr, this model uses 1.7% less, ranking 278 of 658 freezers tracked here for running cost. That average is drawn from all 658 freezers ENERGY STAR currently certifies, not an outside number, a $1/year gap from this model at the national rate. Full sourcing is in the sourcing notes.
Right next to it on the list
A rank or two either side of the Midea MU138SWAR1RC1: Midea MRU14F5A** ($74/yr, 394 kWh/yr), then Midea WHS-507FWEB1 ($74/yr, 394 kWh/yr).
Comparing Midea's own models
Ranked 20 of Midea's 41 certified freezers, this sits between the MRC04M3C** ($33/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the MRU21C7B** ($94/yr, its priciest).
Lifespan
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components does not publish a figure for freezers, so no lifetime cost is shown here rather than a guessed one. The annual and monthly figures above stand on their own.
Weighing a replacement
Efficient as certified freezers go, $74/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
If you're keeping it
Whether or not the Midea MU138SWAR1RC1 ever needs replacing, a repair is the more common failure for a freezer, one a protection plan budgets for ahead of time.
Where this number comes from
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 394 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. At rank 278 of 658 for running cost, see the freezer category page for the rest of the field, or the guide to how much your state matters.