ABL AREF18S: running cost
The ABL AREF18S is certified by ENERGY STAR at 360 kWh a year, about average for its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
That $68 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 refrigerator
Against the category average of 386 kWh/yr, this model uses 6.7% less, ranking 2,483 of 4,704 refrigerators tracked here for running cost. That average is drawn from all 4,704 refrigerators ENERGY STAR currently certifies, not an outside number, a $5/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 ABL AREF18S: ABL AREF18B ($68/yr, 360 kWh/yr), then ABL AREF18W ($68/yr, 360 kWh/yr).
Within the ABL lineup
Ranked 3 of ABL's 4 certified refrigerators, this sits between the AREF18** ($68/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the AREF18W ($68/yr, its priciest).
ABL AREF18S over 13 years
Over the 13-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the ABL AREF18S costs roughly $880 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Shopping for a new one
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $68/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators before buying.
If you're keeping it
$68/year to run is the predictable cost of the ABL AREF18S; a protection plan covers the unpredictable one, a repair bill.
Where this number comes from
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 360 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. At rank 2,483 of 4,704 for running cost, see the refrigerator category page for the rest of the field, or the guide to how much your state matters.