Running cost for the ELLIPSE ERBM170W
At 453 kWh/yr, the ELLIPSE ERBM170W's ENERGY STAR certification puts it more expensive than most models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
That $85 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
The category average is 386 kWh/yr; this model runs 17.4% above it, ranking 3,206 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 $13/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 ELLIPSE ERBM170W: ELLIPSE ERBM170S ($85/yr, 453 kWh/yr), then Forno FFFFD1785-31BLK ($85/yr, 453 kWh/yr).
Comparing ELLIPSE's own models
Ranked 11 of ELLIPSE's 12 certified refrigerators, this sits between the EFVC14W ($40/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the ERBM221SE ($110/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
Over the 13-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the ELLIPSE ERBM170W costs roughly $1,107 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Weighing a replacement
Running above the category average, $85/year is exactly the kind of number that makes a newer, more efficient model pay for itself faster.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
If you're keeping it
$85/year to run is the predictable cost of the ELLIPSE ERBM170W; a protection plan covers the unpredictable one, a repair bill.
Where this number comes from
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 453 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 3,206 of 4,704, the ELLIPSE ERBM170W 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.