Whirlpool WRFC7036R Running Cost (Refrigerator)
Whirlpool WRFC7036R: running cost
At 673 kWh/yr, the Whirlpool WRFC7036R's ENERGY STAR certification puts it one of the more expensive models in its category to run against every other certified refrigerator.
The $127 figure above uses the simple average of all 51 published state rates. Pick your state for the real number.
Whirlpool WRFC7036R against the category
That's 74.4% above the refrigerator category average of 386 kWh/yr, and ranks 4,384 of 4,704 certified refrigerators for annual running cost, 1 being cheapest. The category average comes from every refrigerator ENERGY STAR currently certifies (4,704 models), not an outside benchmark, about $54/year above that average at the national rate. See the methodology page.
What sits beside it in the ranking
Whirlpool WRFC7436T ($127/yr, 673 kWh/yr) costs a little more to run than the Whirlpool WRFC7036R. Whirlpool WRFC5236R ($127/yr, 673 kWh/yr) costs a little less.
Same brand, different models
Whirlpool makes 156 ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators; this one ranks 122 of 156 for running cost, between the brand's cheapest, the AMA27S1E at $40/yr, and its priciest, the WRF995FIF at $142/yr.
Whirlpool WRFC7036R over 13 years
Over the 13-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the Whirlpool WRFC7036R costs roughly $1,645 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Is it worth replacing?
The Whirlpool WRFC7036R 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 $127/year every year.
See what else is certified in this category before you decide.
Protecting what you have
At $127/year just to run, a refrigerator is worth protecting against an unplanned repair bill on top of that.
Sourcing
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.