Whirlpool WRFC2036R Running Cost (Refrigerator)
What the Whirlpool WRFC2036R costs to run
The Whirlpool WRFC2036R is certified by ENERGY STAR at 563 kWh a year, one of the more expensive models in its category to run among refrigerators currently certified.
That $106 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
The category average is 386 kWh/yr; this model runs 45.9% above it, ranking 3,842 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 $33/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 WRFC2036R: Whirlpool WRF540CWH ($106/yr, 563 kWh/yr), then Blomberg BRFD2234XSS ($106/yr, 565 kWh/yr).
Within the Whirlpool lineup
Ranked 81 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 WRFC2036R costs roughly $1,376 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Is it worth replacing?
The Whirlpool WRFC2036R runs above its category average. If the refrigerator you actually own is older still, likely well past ENERGY STAR's efficiency baseline when it was made, a current certified model could cost meaningfully less than this model's $106/year every year.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators before buying.
If you're keeping it
At $106/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 3,842 of 4,704, the Whirlpool WRFC2036R 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.