Midea WHS-65LB1: running cost
At 207 kWh/yr, the Midea WHS-65LB1's ENERGY STAR certification puts it one of the cheaper models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
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.
Efficient, or not, for a refrigerator
Against the category average of 386 kWh/yr, this model uses 46.4% less, ranking 384 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 $34/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 Midea WHS-65LB1: Midea MRM16B3ASL ($39/yr, 207 kWh/yr), then Midea WHS-65LSS1 ($39/yr, 207 kWh/yr).
Within the Midea lineup
Ranked 8 of Midea's 162 certified refrigerators, this sits between the MRW14B2ABB ($23/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the MRF29D9B** ($147/yr, its priciest).
Midea WHS-65LB1 over 13 years
13 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $39/year, the Midea WHS-65LB1 adds up to about $506 in electricity over that span.
Weighing a replacement
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
A refrigerator like the Midea WHS-65LB1 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
Ranked 384 of 4,704, the Midea WHS-65LB1 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. The 207 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.