Running cost for the TCL TRM45S4AW
The TCL TRM45S4AW is certified by ENERGY STAR at 226 kWh a year, one of the cheaper models in its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
The $42 figure above uses the simple average of all 51 published state rates. Pick your state for the real number.
Where this ranks
That's 41.5% below the refrigerator category average of 386 kWh/yr, and ranks 837 of 4,704 certified refrigerators for annual running cost, 1 being cheapest. Every one of the 4,704 currently-certified refrigerators feeds that average, putting this model about $30/year under it. See how it's calculated on the how it is calculated page.
The closest alternatives by cost
Sorted by running cost among refrigerators, one step cheaper is Royal Sovereign RMF-128*** ($42/yr, 226 kWh/yr), and one step pricier is VIDA 043-1504-4 ($42/yr, 226 kWh/yr).
Comparing TCL's own models
TCL makes 24 ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators; this one ranks 6 of 24 for running cost, between the brand's cheapest, the MR121S at $39/yr, and its priciest, the TRF20S5AL-S1 at $87/yr.
What this adds up to over time
13 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $42/year, the TCL TRM45S4AW adds up to about $552 in electricity over that span.
Weighing a replacement
The TCL TRM45S4AW is already efficient for its category at $42/year. If you're shopping and comparing options, this is roughly what a well-chosen new refrigerator costs to run.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
Protecting what you have
At $42/year just to run, a refrigerator is worth protecting against an unplanned repair bill on top of that.
The data behind this page
At rank 837 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 226 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.