Data through June 2026
Ranking · computed from certified data
The Cheapest States to Run a Refrigerator
All 50 states + DC ranked by what the median certified refrigerator costs per year at local rates.
From Nevada ($45/yr) to Hawaii ($181/yr), based on the median certified refrigerator at 344 kWh/yr.
| State | Rate ¢/kWh | Median $/yr | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevadacheapest | 13.1¢ | $45 | |
| Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $46 | |
| Utah | 13.4¢ | $46 | |
| Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $46 | |
| Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $48 | |
| Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $49 | |
| North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $49 | |
| Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $49 | |
| Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $49 | |
| Idaho | 14.4¢ | $49 | |
| North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $51 | |
| Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $51 | |
| Washington | 14.9¢ | $51 | |
| New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $52 | |
| Florida | 15.1¢ | $52 | |
| Montana | 15.1¢ | $52 | |
| Arizona | 15.2¢ | $52 | |
| Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $52 | |
| South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $53 | |
| West Virginia | 15.4¢ | $53 | |
| South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $53 | |
| Kansas | 15.7¢ | $54 | |
| Iowa | 15.9¢ | $55 | |
| Texas | 15.9¢ | $55 | |
| Missouri | 16.2¢ | $56 | |
| Oregon | 16.3¢ | $56 | |
| Georgia | 16.4¢ | $56 | |
| Alabama | 16.4¢ | $56 | |
| Colorado | 17.1¢ | $59 | |
| Virginia | 17.2¢ | $59 | |
| Indiana | 17.5¢ | $60 | |
| Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $60 | |
| Ohio | 19.2¢ | $66 | |
| Delaware | 19.3¢ | $66 | |
| Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $67 | |
| Illinois | 19.9¢ | $68 | |
| Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $75 | |
| Maryland | 21.8¢ | $75 | |
| Michigan | 23.0¢ | $79 | |
| Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $84 | |
| District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $84 | |
| Vermont | 24.4¢ | $84 | |
| New Jersey | 24.9¢ | $86 | |
| New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $93 | |
| Alaska | 28.2¢ | $97 | |
| Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $101 | |
| New York | 29.5¢ | $101 | |
| Maine | 29.6¢ | $102 | |
| Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $102 | |
| California | 34.7¢ | $120 | |
| Hawaiipriciest | 52.7¢ | $181 |
How this list is built: every entry comes straight from the ENERGY STAR certified-product dataset for refrigerators (4,371 models), ordered by certified annual kWh. The certified annual kWh comes from the DOE test procedure, which measures continuous 24/7 operation at standardized temperatures — refrigerators never get a day off.