Show the formula and working
This fridge freezer running cost calculator works out what your fridge freezer costs to run per day, month and year, and how much a more efficient model would save, for households in the UK, Ireland and Europe. Enter the kWh per year from the energy label or a reading from a plug-in energy monitor, add your unit rate in pounds or euros, and it shows the cost with the working.
Quick answer: A fridge freezer running cost calculator multiplies the yearly kWh by your unit rate. A fridge freezer rated 250 kWh per year costs £65.80 a year at the October to December 2026 price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh, which is £5.48 a month or about 18p a day.
What Is a Fridge Freezer Running Cost Calculator?
A fridge freezer running cost calculator is a tool that turns the electricity a fridge freezer uses in a year into a yearly, monthly and daily cost. In plain words: kWh per year multiplied by your unit rate gives the yearly cost, which you divide by 12 for a month or by 365 for a day. If you measured kWh per day, it is first multiplied by 365.
A fridge freezer runs all day, but the compressor switches on and off to hold the temperature, so the wattage on the rating plate multiplied by 24 hours would overstate the cost by a wide margin. That is why the energy label gives a yearly kWh figure instead. For appliances that do run at a steady wattage, the electricity cost calculator uses watts multiplied by hours, divided by 1,000, multiplied by the price per kWh.
How Do You Use the Fridge Freezer Running Cost Calculator?
- Enter the Energy label kWh per year from the label, the manual or the product information sheet, for example 250.
- If you have measured your fridge freezer with a plug-in energy monitor for at least a day, enter the Measured kWh per day. It replaces the label figure.
- Check the Electricity unit rate. It starts at the Ofgem price cap rate, so replace it with the rate on your bill and choose pounds or euros.
- To compare a replacement, enter its New model kWh per year, and add the New model price to see how many years the saving takes to repay it. Leave both at 0 to skip.
- Read the yearly cost, the monthly and daily figures and any saving, then open “Show the formula and working” to check the steps.
How Much Does a Fridge Freezer Cost to Run per Year?
A fridge freezer costs between about £40 and £130 a year to run at 26.32p per kWh, for models rated 150 to 500 kWh per year. Larger American style models and older appliances tend to sit at the top of that range, and compact or newer efficient models towards the bottom. Your own figure is the label kWh multiplied by your unit rate, so a 300 kWh model costs £78.96 a year at the price cap rate.
How Many kWh Does a Fridge Freezer Use per Day?
Divide the yearly label figure by 365 to get kWh per day: a 250 kWh per year fridge freezer uses about 0.68 kWh a day, an average draw of about 29 W. The rescaled label in use since March 2021 states energy consumption in kWh per year, measured under standard test conditions, as the Bosch energy label guide explains. A plug-in energy monitor left on for a week, then divided by 7, gives your real daily use.
Is It Worth Replacing an Old Fridge Freezer?
Replacing a working fridge freezer usually pays back only when the old one uses much more energy than the new one, so compare the yearly saving with the price. Measure the old appliance for a week first, because worn door seals and age can push real use well above the original label. Enter that reading, the new model’s label figure and its price, and the calculator gives the saving per year and the years to repay. If an old appliance is faulty or noisy, replacement can still make sense for other reasons.
Why Does a Fridge Freezer Use More Electricity Than Its Label?
A fridge freezer uses more than its label when it works harder than in the test, for example in a warm kitchen, next to an oven, with the door opened often or with a frosted freezer. Fridges and freezers need to stay on all the time, as the Energy Saving Trust points out, so the savings come from how they run: leave space for air behind the unit, defrost the freezer when ice builds up, let hot food cool before putting it in and check the seals hold a sheet of paper firmly.
Fridge Freezer Running Cost Table
| Energy label (kWh per year) | kWh per day | Cost per month | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 | 0.41 | £3.29 | £39.48 |
| 200 | 0.55 | £4.39 | £52.64 |
| 250 | 0.68 | £5.48 | £65.80 |
| 300 | 0.82 | £6.58 | £78.96 |
| 400 | 1.10 | £8.77 | £105.28 |
| 500 | 1.37 | £10.97 | £131.60 |
Costs use 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap average for October to December 2026.
Worked Example: Comparing a New Fridge Freezer
Example: a fridge freezer label shows 250 kWh per year and the rate is 26.32p per kWh. Enter 250 in Energy label kWh per year and keep the unit rate. The calculator works out 250 x 26.32p = £65.80 a year, £65.80 / 12 = £5.48 a month and £65.80 / 365 = 18.03p a day. A new model rated 150 kWh per year costs £350, so enter 150 in New model kWh per year and 350 in New model price. The new model would cost £39.48 a year, saving £26.32, and £350 / £26.32 = 13.3 years to repay the price, so keeping the working appliance makes more sense.
In euros, at a tariff of 30 cents per kWh, the same 250 kWh model costs €75 a year. To see the effect on your total bill, try the electricity bill calculator or browse the energy bill calculators.
Fridge Freezer Running Cost Calculator FAQs
How much does a fridge freezer cost to run per day?
Divide the yearly cost by 365. A fridge freezer rated 250 kWh per year costs about 18p a day at 26.32p per kWh, and a 400 kWh model costs about 29p a day.
Why can I not use the wattage to work out the cost?
The compressor cycles on and off, so a fridge freezer draws its rated wattage only part of the time. Wattage multiplied by 24 hours would overstate the cost. Use the yearly kWh on the label or a reading from an energy monitor instead.
How long should I measure a fridge freezer with an energy monitor?
Measure for at least a full day, and ideally a week, then divide the kWh by the number of days. A short reading can catch the compressor running or resting, which makes the daily figure too high or too low.
Does a fridge freezer cost more to run in summer?
Yes, usually. In a warmer room the compressor runs for longer to hold the set temperature, so energy use rises. Keeping the unit away from ovens, radiators and direct sun, with space for air behind it, keeps the cost down.
Should I switch off a fridge freezer to save money?
No. Fridges and freezers need to stay on to keep food cold and safe. Save money instead by defrosting ice build up, checking the door seals and not leaving the door open longer than needed.
How is the payback period worked out?
The calculator divides the new model’s price by the yearly saving in electricity. A £350 model that saves £26.32 a year takes 13.3 years to repay. It ignores price changes, so treat it as a guide.
Checked October 2026. Sources: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (Ofgem), Energy label information (Bosch), Quick tips to save energy (Energy Saving Trust).