RCA RFR320-RED Running Cost (Refrigerator)
RCA RFR320-RED: running cost
The RCA RFR320-RED is certified by ENERGY STAR at 197 kWh a year, one of the cheaper models in its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
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 251 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-RED: RCA RFR320-PURPLE ($37/yr, 197 kWh/yr), then RCA RFR320-WHITE ($37/yr, 197 kWh/yr).
Comparing RCA's own models
Ranked 15 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).
What this adds up to over time
Over the 13-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the RCA RFR320-RED costs roughly $481 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Shopping for a new one
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
$37/year to run is the predictable cost of the RCA RFR320-RED; a protection plan covers the unpredictable one, a repair bill.
Where this number comes from
Ranked 251 of 4,704, the RCA RFR320-RED 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 197 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.