Magic Chef MCDR740STE: running cost
At 345 kWh/yr, the Magic Chef MCDR740STE's ENERGY STAR certification puts it cheaper than most models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
That $65 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 10.6% less, ranking 2,360 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 $8/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 Magic Chef MCDR740STE: Magic Chef MCDR740BE ($65/yr, 345 kWh/yr), then Magic Chef MCDR740WE ($65/yr, 345 kWh/yr).
Comparing Magic Chef's own models
Ranked 115 of Magic Chef's 121 certified refrigerators, this sits between the MCR16CHB ($39/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the MCBM920W1 ($70/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
Over the 13-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the Magic Chef MCDR740STE costs roughly $843 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Shopping for a new one
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $65/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
If you're keeping it
Whether or not the Magic Chef MCDR740STE ever needs replacing, a repair is the more common failure for a refrigerator, one a protection plan budgets for ahead of time.
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. Ranked 2,360 of 4,704, the Magic Chef MCDR740STE 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.