What the Danby DAR017A3* costs to run
The Danby DAR017A3* is certified by ENERGY STAR at 221 kWh a year, one of the cheaper models in its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
That $42 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.
How the Danby DAR017A3* compares to other refrigerators
Against the category average of 386 kWh/yr, this model uses 42.7% less, ranking 790 of 4,704 refrigerators tracked here for running cost. 4,704 certified refrigerators, one average, about $31/year of daylight between it and this model; the full methodology has the rest.
Neighbouring models
Right next to the Danby DAR017A3* on that list: Whirlpool WHR35S1E ($41/yr, 220 kWh/yr) runs slightly less, while Danby Designer DAR017A2* ($42/yr, 221 kWh/yr) runs slightly more.
Comparing Danby's own models
Ranked 8 of Danby's 58 certified refrigerators, this sits between the DBC031L1SS ($22/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the DBM187E1WDB ($103/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components puts a typical refrigerator's service life at 13 years; run the Danby DAR017A3* that long and it costs about $540 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Shopping for a new one
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $42/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
A refrigerator like the Danby DAR017A3* is a real household expense whether or not it needs replacing yet; a protection plan is one way to budget for a repair rather than a full replacement.
How this was checked
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 221 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 790 of 4,704, the Danby DAR017A3* 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.