Running cost for the Criterion CUF21C1W
The Criterion CUF21C1W is certified by ENERGY STAR at 314 kWh a year, cheaper than most models in its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
That $59 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 18.7% less, ranking 1,886 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 $14/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 Criterion CUF21C1W: BLACK+DECKER BUC2120M* ($59/yr, 314 kWh/yr), then ELEMENT EHUF21****** ($59/yr, 314 kWh/yr).
Same brand, different models
Ranked 12 of Criterion's 49 certified refrigerators, this sits between the CCR17CE1B ($39/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the CFDR286M4* ($147/yr, its priciest).
Criterion CUF21C1W over 13 years
13 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $59/year, the Criterion CUF21C1W adds up to about $767 in electricity over that span.
Is it worth replacing?
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $59/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
At $59/year just to run, a refrigerator is worth protecting against an unplanned repair bill on top of that.
Where this number comes from
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 314 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 1,886 of 4,704, the Criterion CUF21C1W sits in the middle of the refrigerator category, see the guide to why your state changes this number for the other half of the math.