Running cost for the VITARA VBCR1201EWE
ENERGY STAR certifies the VITARA VBCR1201EWE at 295 kWh/yr, cheaper than most models in its category to run for its category.
That $55 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 23.6% less, ranking 1,679 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 $17/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 VITARA VBCR1201EWE: THORKITCHEN XRF24CRF ($55/yr, 295 kWh/yr), then Zline RBCRV-24 ($55/yr, 295 kWh/yr).
Within the VITARA lineup
Ranked 5 of VITARA's 84 certified refrigerators, this sits between the VLUF1101EBE ($47/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the VFFR2103ESE ($108/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
13 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $55/year, the VITARA VBCR1201EWE adds up to about $721 in electricity over that span.
Shopping for a new one
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $55/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
A refrigerator like the VITARA VBCR1201EWE 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
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.