RCA RFR322-B: running cost
The RCA RFR322-B is certified by ENERGY STAR at 197 kWh a year, one of the cheaper models in its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
The $37 figure above uses the simple average of all 51 published state rates. Pick your state for the real number.
RCA RFR322-B against the category
That's 49% below the refrigerator category average of 386 kWh/yr, and ranks 256 of 4,704 certified refrigerators for annual running cost, 1 being cheapest. The category average comes from every refrigerator ENERGY STAR currently certifies (4,704 models), not an outside benchmark, about $36/year below that average at the national rate. See the methodology page.
What sits beside it in the ranking
RCA RFR326-BLACK ($37/yr, 197 kWh/yr) costs a little more to run than the RCA RFR322-B. RCA RFR321-BLACK ($37/yr, 197 kWh/yr) costs a little less.
Within the RCA lineup
RCA makes 46 ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators; this one ranks 20 of 46 for running cost, between the brand's cheapest, the EFR180 at $30/yr, and its priciest, the RFR836-6COM at $60/yr.
Cost over its typical lifespan
Over the 13-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the RCA RFR322-B costs roughly $481 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Is it worth replacing?
The RCA RFR322-B is already efficient for its category at $37/year. If you're shopping and comparing options, this is roughly what a well-chosen new refrigerator costs to run.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators before buying.
Protecting what you have
Whether or not the RCA RFR322-B ever needs replacing, a repair is the more common failure for a refrigerator, one a protection plan budgets for ahead of time.
Sourcing
Two sourced numbers, nothing modeled: ENERGY STAR's certified kWh/yr for this exact model, and EIA's published state electricity rate. Ranked 256 of 4,704, the RCA RFR322-B 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.