Running cost for the RCA RFR320-LIME
At 197 kWh/yr, the RCA RFR320-LIME's ENERGY STAR certification puts it one of the cheaper models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
That $37 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 49% less, ranking 248 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 $36/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 RCA RFR320-LIME: RCA RFR320-C-BLUE-COM ($37/yr, 197 kWh/yr), then RCA RFR320-ORANGE ($37/yr, 197 kWh/yr).
Within the RCA lineup
Ranked 12 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 RFR320-LIME that long and it costs about $481 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Weighing a replacement
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $37/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
Whether or not the RCA RFR320-LIME 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
At rank 248 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 197 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.