DCS RF24E4 Running Cost (Refrigerator)
Running cost for the DCS RF24E4
At 219 kWh/yr, the DCS RF24E4's ENERGY STAR certification puts it one of the cheaper models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
That $41 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 43.3% less, ranking 693 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 $31/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 DCS RF24E4: Commercial Cool CCUK12W ($41/yr, 219 kWh/yr), then Fire Magic 3589-DL ($41/yr, 219 kWh/yr).
Within the DCS lineup
Ranked 2 of DCS's 3 certified refrigerators, this sits between the RF24DE4 ($37/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the RS36(X) ($105/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 DCS RF24E4 that long and it costs about $535 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Weighing a replacement
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $41/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
See what else is certified in this category before you decide.
If you're keeping it
A refrigerator like the DCS RF24E4 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.
Where this number comes from
Two sourced numbers, nothing modeled: ENERGY STAR's certified kWh/yr for this exact model, and EIA's published state electricity rate. At rank 693 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.