RCA RFR321-B-BLACK Running Cost (Refrigerator)
RCA RFR321-B-BLACK: running cost
At 197 kWh/yr, the RCA RFR321-B-BLACK'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 253 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 RFR321-B-BLACK: RCA RFR320-WHITE ($37/yr, 197 kWh/yr), then RCA RFR321-B-WHITE ($37/yr, 197 kWh/yr).
Same brand, different models
Ranked 17 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).
RCA RFR321-B-BLACK over 13 years
13 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $37/year, the RCA RFR321-B-BLACK adds up to about $481 in electricity over that span.
Is it worth replacing?
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $37/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
The RCA RFR321-B-BLACK already costs $37/year to run; a repair bill on top of that is the kind of expense a protection plan exists to smooth out.
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. At rank 253 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.