Kenmore 996161 Running Cost (Refrigerator)
Kenmore 996161: running cost
The Kenmore 996161 is certified by ENERGY STAR at 208 kWh a year, one of the cheaper models in its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
That $39 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 Kenmore 996161 compares to other refrigerators
Against the category average of 386 kWh/yr, this model uses 46.1% less, ranking 429 of 4,704 refrigerators tracked here for running cost. 4,704 certified refrigerators, one average, about $33/year of daylight between it and this model; the full methodology has the rest.
Neighbouring models
Right next to the Kenmore 996161 on that list: Kenmore 17764 ($39/yr, 208 kWh/yr) runs slightly less, while Kenmore KMR17MBKE ($39/yr, 208 kWh/yr) runs slightly more.
Comparing Kenmore's own models
Ranked 2 of Kenmore's 93 certified refrigerators, this sits between the 17764 ($39/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the 46-75625 ($140/yr, its priciest).
Kenmore 996161 over 13 years
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components puts a typical refrigerator's service life at 13 years; run the Kenmore 996161 that long and it costs about $508 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Is it worth replacing?
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $39/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 $39/year just to run, a refrigerator is worth protecting against an unplanned repair bill on top of that.
How this was checked
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 208 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 429 of 4,704, the Kenmore 996161 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.