TCL MR121S Running Cost (Refrigerator)
TCL MR121S: running cost
At 207 kWh/yr, the TCL MR121S's ENERGY STAR certification puts it one of the cheaper models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
That $39 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 46.4% less, ranking 390 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 $34/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 TCL MR121S: Premium Levella PRF167400XB ($39/yr, 207 kWh/yr), then Avanti AVRM16F0W ($39/yr, 208 kWh/yr).
Comparing TCL's own models
Of the 24 ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators TCL makes, the MR121S is the cheapest to run, $48/year less than TCL's priciest, the TRF20S5AL-S1.
Cost over its typical lifespan
Over the 13-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the TCL MR121S costs roughly $506 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Is it worth replacing?
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $39/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
A refrigerator like the TCL MR121S is a real household expense whether or not it needs replacing yet; a protection plan is one way to budget for a repair rather than a full replacement.
Where this number comes from
At rank 390 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 207 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.