VIKING VBUI5241GSS Running Cost (Refrigerator)
Running cost for the VIKING VBUI5241GSS
At 251 kWh/yr, the VIKING VBUI5241GSS's ENERGY STAR certification puts it one of the cheaper models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
That $47 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 35% less, ranking 1,158 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 $25/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 VIKING VBUI5241GSS: Marvel MLWC24-SG01A ($47/yr, 251 kWh/yr), then VIKING VRUI5241GSS ($47/yr, 251 kWh/yr).
Same brand, different models
Ranked 7 of VIKING's 12 certified refrigerators, this sits between the VDUO5241DSS ($37/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the VCSB5483 ($134/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
13 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $47/year, the VIKING VBUI5241GSS adds up to about $613 in electricity over that span.
Weighing a replacement
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $47/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
At $47/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. Ranked 1,158 of 4,704, the VIKING VBUI5241GSS 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.