Whirlpool WH46**E: running cost
The Whirlpool WH46**E is certified by ENERGY STAR at 266 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 31.1% less, ranking 1,372 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 $23/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 WH46**E: Perlick HP24RS4E-**-***** ($50/yr, 266 kWh/yr), then Vissani VS44HSCPB ($50/yr, 267 kWh/yr).
Within the Whirlpool lineup
Ranked 13 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 WH46**E costs roughly $650 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Weighing a replacement
Efficient as certified refrigerators go, $50/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
$50/year to run is the predictable cost of the Whirlpool WH46**E; a protection plan covers the unpredictable one, a repair bill.
Where this number comes from
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 266 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. 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.