A mini-fridge is a great appliance for storing food items and beverages in bedrooms, dorms, garages, and offices. When space is an issue, a mini-fridge is the best investment for storing foods and keeping the beverage supply steady.
There is no doubt that a mini-fridge is often the most cherished appliance in many people’s lives. A lot of people are concerned about how many watts a mini-fridge uses and how much do I have to pay for it. Well, the answer is pretty straightforward; its electricity consumption is synonym to its name.
In this article, we will explain how many watts does a mini-refrigerator use and how you can calculate its contribution to your electricity bill. We will also suggest some ways in which you can control its electricity consumption and make sure that running a mini-fridge doesn’t cost you too much.
How Many Watts Does a Mini-Refrigerator Use?
Before we explain how many watts a mini-refrigerator uses, it is important to understand what a watt is and what does it mean.
What is a Watt?
A watt is a unit of electricity. It is used to describe how much electricity an appliance consumes. The combined total of electricity used by your home is then reflected in your monthly bills along with other charges.
On your energy bill, you see electricity consumption in kilowatt-hour (kWh). This figure is then multiplied by the kWh cost of electricity in your area to calculate the total cost.
Average Mini-Fridge Wattage
Most mini-fridge models consume between 50 and 100 watts. However, consumption varies from one model to another.
Some models may use as low as 30 watts, whereas some high-end models may use up to 90 watts.
There are a lot of factors that impact power consumption by your mini-refrigerator. Let’s check them out.
Size:
Mini-fridges come in different sizes. Some had a separate freezer, while some didn’t have a freezer at all. Small machines use less power compared to large ones. That’s pretty obvious.
Moreover, mini-fridges with freezers use more power.
Mini-Fridge Age:
Older machines tend to use more electricity, particularly the ones without an Energy Star rating. The latest models are smart and have sensors installed in them that are quick to react to temperature changes and stop the compressor quickly.
Built Quality:
The built quality of the machine also impacts the energy consumption, particularly the insulation system and the gasket. If your machine is good at trapping cooling inside, it will use less electricity.
Usage:
How you use your machine also matters. How you stock it up and how frequently you open the door, all such things impact the power consumption of your machine. Moreover, placing your machine in a crowded spot or near a heat source such as a stove or oven also forces the mini-fridge to work vigorously and consume more power.
How to find your Mini-Fridge Wattage
So, know that you know every mini-fridge is different and has different power needs. How can you find out how much yours is using? Most homeowners don’t know how to do it despite it being simple enough, like a 5th-grade math problem.
Follow the steps mentioned below for finding your mini-fridges wattage
- Locate the sticker on your fridge mentioning technical information about your machine. This sticker is usually pasted on the inside walls or the back of your machine.
- Check the sticker for volts and amps. Note down the figures mentioned against these two specifications.
- Multiply both. You will get the exact wattage number.
- You can also check the wattage on the user manual. It has everything mentioned, and some manufacturers even mention calculated wattages.
How much does it cost to run a Mini-Fridge
Suppose that you have the latest mini-fridge with an energy star rating that runs on 50 watts. If it runs for 8 hours a day, this means that the daily wattage will be 400 watt-hours. As electricity is calculated in kilowatt-hours, so it is a good idea to convert watt-hours into kilowatt-hours before calculating the monthly and yearly bill.
400 watt-hours equal 0.400 kilowatt-hours (divide watt-hours by 1000)
The average cost of one kWh in the U.S. is 14.19 cents. (Cost taken from Independent Statistics & Analysis U.S. Energy Information Department)
Daily Running Cost: 5.67 Cents
Monthly Running Cost: $1.7
Yearly Running Cost: $20
The above values have been calculated in an ideal situation. If your fridge runs for more time, then it will consume more electricity, and the bill will go up.
Moreover, the kWh cost is the national average. The electricity price varies from one state to another state.
Some Energy Consumption Examples for Different Mini-Fridges
Midea 3.1 Cu. Ft. Compact Refrigerator, WHD-113FSS1
Annual Energy Consumption: 270 kWh
Estimated Yearly Energy Cost: $32
Frigidaire Retro Bar Fridge Refrigerator
Annual Energy Consumption: 219 kWh
Estimated Yearly Energy Cost: $26
RCA 3.2 Cubic Foot 2 Door Fridge and Freezer
Annual Energy Consumption: 358 kWh
Estimated Yearly Energy Cost: $43
BLACK+DECKER BCRK17W Refrigerator
Annual Energy Consumption: 201 kWh
Estimated Yearly Energy Cost: $24
Galanz 3.1 Cu Ft Retro Dual Door Refrigerator
Annual Energy Consumption: 357 kWh
Estimated Yearly Energy Cost: $42
Frigidaire EFR376-MOONBM Retro Bar Fridge Refrigerator
Annual Energy Consumption: 219 kWh
Estimated Yearly Energy Cost: $26
The above examples show that running mini-fridge costs from $20 to $50 annually.
How to control your Mini-Refrigerator’s Electricity Consumption
There are some tips that can help you reduce electricity consumption for your mini-fridge and, in turn, reduce the energy bill.
- Install your unit away from a heat source such as a stove or an oven.
- Make sure that you leave the manufacturer-recommended space on all sides of the refrigerator.
- Don’t keep the door open for long. Some people have the habit of leaving the door open while working in the kitchen. It raises the internal temperature of the machine and forces the compressor to run at full pace. As a result, the machine consumes more electricity.
Read More: What Temperature Should a Refrigerator Be?
- Organize your fridge properly. Le the cold air circulate freely inside so that it results in an even cooling across the fridge. Use storage boxes in refrigerator. Moreover, using storage boxes also helps identify what you are looking for.
- Keep your fridge neat and clean. Most mini-fridges are manually defrosting. You must defrost your mini-fridge whenever the ice layer goes beyond 0.25 inches.
- Make sure that you always buy an Energy Star Certified machine.
Final Words
A mini-fridge is known for affordability and delivering quick cooling. However, once you know how many watts it uses, you can use the above-mentioned tips to reduce its consumption.
