You know what never stops working in your house? The refrigerator. Day. Night. Rain. Shine.
It’s the quiet MVP of the kitchen — but also one of the sneakiest energy hogs.
In 2025, the average modern fridge uses about 600 kWh a year. Multiply that by your grid rate (let’s say $0.20/kWh). That’s around $120 a year just to keep your leftovers safe.
Old fridges? Double that. I’ve seen models so ancient they hum like a jet engine and chew through 1,200 kWh. That’s $240 a year — the cost of a decent grocery haul, gone just to cool last week’s groceries.
Want Your Exact Number?
Use the Appliance Cost Calculator.
Plug in your fridge’s wattage, duty cycle, and hours of use (hint: it’s 24/7). The calculator spits out daily, monthly, and yearly costs. No guesswork.
Solar vs Grid Comparison
Here’s the kicker: run that fridge on solar, and the effective cost drops to pennies per day after ROI kicks in. Grid users are stuck feeding the meter forever.
Moral of the story? Your fridge is loyal, but not cheap. If you’re serious about savings, start by measuring it. Numbers don’t lie — but your power company’s bill breakdown might.