Whirlpool WH43RE Running Cost (Refrigerator)
Whirlpool WH43RE: running cost
The Whirlpool WH43RE is certified by ENERGY STAR at 268 kWh a year, one of the cheaper models in its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
That $50 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 30.6% less, ranking 1,397 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 $22/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 Whirlpool WH43RE: Vissani VXAR440BSS ($50/yr, 268 kWh/yr), then Whirlpool WH43RS1E ($50/yr, 268 kWh/yr).
Comparing Whirlpool's own models
Ranked 14 of Whirlpool's 156 certified refrigerators, this sits between the AMA27S1E ($40/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the WRF995FIF ($142/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
Over the 13-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the Whirlpool WH43RE costs roughly $655 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Shopping for a new one
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $50/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 $50/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.