Which type of refrigerator is cheapest to run?
Side-by-side or top-freezer? The gap is larger than most people expect, and it repeats every year.
Every figure below is computed from the catalogue, not written by hand · updated October 19, 2026
Average yearly running cost by type
| What it is | kWh a year | Cost a year |
|---|---|---|
| Compact refrigerator4,805 models | 246 | $44 |
| Single-door refrigerator, no freezer500 models | 295 | $53 |
| Top-freezer refrigerator1,041 models | 364 | $66 |
| Bottom-freezer refrigerator1,982 models | 563 | $102 |
| Side-by-side refrigerator380 models | 673 | $121 |
Priced a year at the U.S. average residential rate.
Why the gap is this large
It is mostly surface area and door seals. A side-by-side has a tall vertical seam down the middle of the cabinet and two full-height doors, so there is more edge to insulate and more cold air spilling out each time one opens. A top-freezer has one small door above one large one and a simpler airflow path. The compressor works less often.
Through-the-door ice and water dispensers widen the gap further: they cut a hole through the insulated door and add a heater to stop it frosting. That is why side-by-side refrigerators sit at the top of this table at 673 kWh a year on average.
Read the table carefully before you use it
Compact refrigerators look cheapest, and they are — but a 4 cubic foot dorm fridge is not an alternative to a 22 cubic foot family refrigerator. Compare within the size you actually need. The refrigerator hub ranks the cheapest models of each type separately for exactly this reason.
These are averages across the market, not a verdict on any single refrigerator. The spread within a type is wide: the most efficient single-door refrigerator, no freezer and the least efficient one differ by more than the gap between the types. Once you have chosen a configuration, the model still matters.
Where these numbers come from
Averages across every refrigerator on sale in the US, grouped by the configuration it is filed under. Certified models come from ENERGY STAR; the rest from the DOE compliance database, which every model must be filed in to be sold at all.
Costs are that energy use multiplied by a state's average residential electricity price from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Change the state above and every figure on this page moves with it. Full methodology.