RCA RFR836-6COM Running Cost (Refrigerator)
RCA RFR836-6COM: running cost
At 320 kWh/yr, the RCA RFR836-6COM's ENERGY STAR certification puts it cheaper than most models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
That $60 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 17.1% less, ranking 1,987 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 $12/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 RFR836-6COM: Professional Series PS-CRF961US-IN ($60/yr, 320 kWh/yr), then Royal Sovereign RMF-90 ($60/yr, 320 kWh/yr).
Comparing RCA's own models
Of the 46 ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators RCA makes, the RFR836-6COM costs the most to run, $30/year more than RCA's cheapest, the EFR180.
Cost over its typical lifespan
13 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $60/year, the RCA RFR836-6COM adds up to about $782 in electricity over that span.
Is it worth replacing?
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $60/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
At $60/year just to run, a refrigerator is worth protecting against an unplanned repair bill on top of that.
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. The full Refrigerator category page shows all 4,704 refrigerators ranked by cost; the state-rate guide covers the half of this number that isn't the appliance.