RCA RFR160-RED Running Cost (Refrigerator)
RCA RFR160-RED: running cost
The RCA RFR160-RED is certified by ENERGY STAR at 206 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 RCA RFR160-RED compares to other refrigerators
Against the category average of 386 kWh/yr, this model uses 46.6% less, ranking 371 of 4,704 refrigerators tracked here for running cost. 4,704 certified refrigerators, one average, about $34/year of daylight between it and this model; the full methodology has the rest.
Neighbouring models
Right next to the RCA RFR160-RED on that list: RCA RFR160-D-PURPLE ($39/yr, 206 kWh/yr) runs slightly less, while RCA RFR176-B-BLACK ($39/yr, 206 kWh/yr) runs slightly more.
Comparing RCA's own models
Ranked 28 of RCA's 46 certified refrigerators, this sits between the EFR180 ($30/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the RFR836-6COM ($60/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components puts a typical refrigerator's service life at 13 years; run the RCA RFR160-RED that long and it costs about $503 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
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 RCA RFR160-RED 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.
How this was checked
At rank 371 of 4,704 for running cost, see the refrigerator category page for the rest of the field, or the guide to how much your state matters. The 206 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.