What the Magic Chef MCAR320STE costs to run
ENERGY STAR certifies the Magic Chef MCAR320STE at 259 kWh/yr, one of the cheaper models in its category to run for its category.
The $49 figure above uses the simple average of all 51 published state rates. Pick your state for the real number.
Magic Chef MCAR320STE against the category
That's 32.9% below the refrigerator category average of 386 kWh/yr, and ranks 1,258 of 4,704 certified refrigerators for annual running cost, 1 being cheapest. The category average comes from every refrigerator ENERGY STAR currently certifies (4,704 models), not an outside benchmark, about $24/year below that average at the national rate. See the methodology page.
What sits beside it in the ranking
Magic Chef MCAR320WE ($49/yr, 259 kWh/yr) costs a little more to run than the Magic Chef MCAR320STE. Magic Chef MCAR320PSE ($49/yr, 259 kWh/yr) costs a little less.
Comparing Magic Chef's own models
Magic Chef makes 121 ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators; this one ranks 58 of 121 for running cost, between the brand's cheapest, the MCR16CHB at $39/yr, and its priciest, the MCBM920W1 at $70/yr.
Cost over its typical lifespan
13 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $49/year, the Magic Chef MCAR320STE adds up to about $633 in electricity over that span.
Shopping for a new one
The Magic Chef MCAR320STE is already efficient for its category at $49/year. If you're shopping and comparing options, this is roughly what a well-chosen new refrigerator costs to run.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators before buying.
Protecting what you have
$49/year to run is the predictable cost of the Magic Chef MCAR320STE; a protection plan covers the unpredictable one, a repair bill.
Sourcing
Two sourced numbers, nothing modeled: ENERGY STAR's certified kWh/yr for this exact model, and EIA's published state electricity rate. The full Refrigerator category page shows all 4,704 refrigerators ranked by cost; the state-rate guide covers the half of this number that isn't the appliance.