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How much does it cost to run a freezer?

A typical freezer uses 218–438 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year, depending on its type. That’s about 25–50 watts on average.

What do you run?

Tap a row to edit it.

  • Type
    kWh a year
    How manyHow many

    It’s on the yellow EnergyGuide label.

    438 kWh a year ÷ 12 = 36.5 kWh · 36.5 kWh × 18.0¢ US average = $6.57 a month

    A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 1,000 watts for one hour. It’s what your bill counts.

$7a month

$7 a month

About $79 a year, or 21.6¢ a day.

Estimate my billSee prices by state

How much power does each kind of freezer use?

Uprights use the most. A chest freezer uses about half as much as an upright.

  • Upright1.20 kWh a day · 50 W on average$6.57
  • Chest0.597 kWh a day · 25 W on average$3.28
  • Compact0.668 kWh a day · 28 W on average$3.65

ENERGY STAR · certified models · pulled Nov 3, 2026

Each row is the middle (median) ENERGY STAR model of its type.

What does a freezer cost to run in each state?

The same freezer costs more than three times as much in Hawaii as in North Dakota.

  1. Hawaii$16.17 · 44.3¢
  2. California$11.79 · 32.3¢
  3. Massachusetts$11.10 · 30.4¢
  4. Maine$10.80 · 29.6¢
  5. Rhode Island$10.73 · 29.4¢
  6. US average$6.57 · 18.0¢
  7. Idaho$4.67 · 12.8¢
  8. Nebraska$4.64 · 12.7¢
  9. North Dakota$4.49 · 12.3¢
See prices by state

An upright freezer (438 kWh a year) at each state’s average price.

State averages · last 12 months · US government data (EIA)

More in the kitchen

FAQ

Questions about freezer power

The middle ENERGY STAR upright freezer uses about 438 kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year, or 1.20 kWh a day. Across types, the middle models use 218–438 kWh a year.

Information as of Nov 2, 2026.

Our numbers come from US government data (EIA) and ENERGY STAR.

Freezer figures: ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Freezers (opens data.energystar.gov in a new tab) (pulled Nov 3, 2026).

Report a mistake (opens support.onepublicgrid.com in a new tab)