Data through April 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 North Dakota ($43/yr) to Hawaii ($161/yr), based on the median certified refrigerator at 345 kWh/yr.
| State | Rate ¢/kWh | Median $/yr | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakotacheapest | 12.3¢ | $43 | |
| Idaho | 12.7¢ | $44 | |
| Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $46 | |
| Utah | 13.3¢ | $46 | |
| Oklahoma | 13.3¢ | $46 | |
| Iowa | 13.9¢ | $48 | |
| Montana | 13.9¢ | $48 | |
| Missouri | 14.0¢ | $48 | |
| Arkansas | 14.2¢ | $49 | |
| Nevada | 14.3¢ | $49 | |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | $50 | |
| Louisiana | 14.4¢ | $50 | |
| South Dakota | 14.5¢ | $50 | |
| Wyoming | 14.7¢ | $51 | |
| Tennessee | 14.9¢ | $52 | |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $52 | |
| New Mexico | 15.2¢ | $52 | |
| Georgia | 15.4¢ | $53 | |
| Florida | 15.4¢ | $53 | |
| Arizona | 15.5¢ | $53 | |
| Kansas | 15.8¢ | $54 | |
| Oregon | 15.8¢ | $54 | |
| West Virginia | 16.1¢ | $55 | |
| North Carolina | 16.3¢ | $56 | |
| Minnesota | 16.4¢ | $57 | |
| Colorado | 16.5¢ | $57 | |
| Mississippi | 16.8¢ | $58 | |
| Texas | 17.0¢ | $59 | |
| South Carolina | 17.1¢ | $59 | |
| Virginia | 17.4¢ | $60 | |
| Alabama | 17.4¢ | $60 | |
| Indiana | 17.9¢ | $62 | |
| Delaware | 18.8¢ | $65 | |
| Wisconsin | 19.2¢ | $66 | |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $67 | |
| Illinois | 20.5¢ | $71 | |
| Michigan | 21.4¢ | $74 | |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5¢ | $74 | |
| Maryland | 22.1¢ | $76 | |
| New Jersey | 23.5¢ | $81 | |
| Vermont | 24.6¢ | $85 | |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $88 | |
| New Hampshire | 27.2¢ | $94 | |
| Alaska | 27.4¢ | $94 | |
| Rhode Island | 28.3¢ | $98 | |
| Maine | 28.4¢ | $98 | |
| Massachusetts | 29.4¢ | $102 | |
| New York | 29.4¢ | $102 | |
| Connecticut | 32.2¢ | $111 | |
| California | 35.3¢ | $122 | |
| Hawaiipriciest | 46.6¢ | $161 |
How this list is built: every entry comes straight from the ENERGY STAR certified-product dataset for refrigerators (4,229 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.