If you are wondering what is the power consumption of a 5-star refrigerator, and how energy efficient a 5-star refrigerator is in comparison to a 4-star or 3-star refrigerator then you have come to the right place.
In this article, we will see 5-star refrigerators’ power consumption and also look at the cost to run them.
Generally, only single-door refrigerators get 5-star energy rating and they come in capacity ranging from 190 ltr to 250 ltr. The annual power consumption of 5-star refrigerators is between 100 kWh to 110 kwh.
The annual electricity cost of running a 5-star refrigerator is Rs 1,000 in India (Mumbai), in the Phillipines and $ in the US.
To get a well-rounded answer on the power consumption of 5-star refrigerators, I have browsed through amazon and a bunch of other e-commerce websites to find out the annual power consumption of almost every size 5-star refrigerator and compiled the following data.
5 Star Refrigerator Power Consumption:
In almost every country, all refrigerators available today are energy star rated, hence, you can go to the refrigerator manufacturer’s website or your country’s top e-commerce website and find an energy-saving label associated with a refrigerator.
The below image shows the annual power consumption of an LG 190 ltr, 5-star single-door refrigerator listed on Amazon India.
For easy comparison, I have made the following tables that show the annual power consumption of different capacity 5-star refrigerators from a bunch of different manufacturers.
| 5-Star Refrigerator Size | Annual Power Consumption (kWh) |
|---|---|
| LG 190 ltr (5 star) | 104 kWh |
| Godrej 190 ltr (5 star) | 104 kWh |
| Whirlpool 205 ltr (5 star) | 107 kWh |
| Samsung 198 ltr (5 star) | 104 kWh |
| LG 215 ltr (5 star) | 107 kWh |
| Samsung 225 ltr (5 star) | 107 kWh |
| LG 235 ltr (5 star) | 109 kWh |
A few things to notice from the above table are,
- All 5-star rated refrigerators are single-door refrigerators, bigger capacity double-door, and side-by-side refrigerators only have up to 4-stars.
- Irrespective of the manufacturer, the annual power consumption of 5-star refrigerators is pretty much the same.
Obviously, the above power consumption table is not of much use as you don’t get to know how energy-efficient 5-star refrigerators are in comparison to 3-star or 4-star ones.
To get a better idea about this, I have made the following table.
How Energy-Saving Stars Affect The Power Consumption of Refrigerators:
If you have done a bit of googling on energy-saving stars or walked inside a store to purchase refrigerators or ACs, you would have surely heard one thing” More stars, means more saving”.
That’s absolutely true, but exactly how much saving? let’s find out.
I have made the following table that shows the annual power consumption of Samsung’s 1-star refrigerator to 5-star refrigerator, but the results are pretty much the same for any manufacturer.
| Samsung Single-Door Refrigerator Size | Annual Power Consumption (kWh) |
|---|---|
| 192 ltr (1 star) | 254 kWh |
| 192 ltr (2 star) | 203 kWh |
| 192 ltr (3 star) | 162 kWh |
| 192 ltr (4 star) | 130 kWh |
| 198 ltr (4 star) | 131 kWh |
| 198 ltr (5 star) | 104 kWh |
| 225 ltr (3 star) | 167 kWh |
| 225 ltr (5 star) | 107 kWh |
From the above table, we can clearly see,
With every increase in energy-saving stars, the annual power consumption of a refrigerator drops by 20%.
Power Consumption 5-Star Refrigerators Vs 4-Star Refrigerators:
- From the above table, we can see, the 198 ltr (4-star) refrigerator from Samsung consumes 131 kWh, whereas, the 198 ltr (5-star) refrigerator consumes just 104 kWh (almost 20% less than the 4-star one).
Power Consumption 5-Star Refrigerators Vs 3-Star Refrigerators:
- From the above table, we can see, the 225 ltr (3-star) refrigerator from Samsung consumes 167 kWh, whereas, the 225 ltr (5-star) refrigerator consumes just 107 kWh (almost 40% less than the 3-star one).
Power Consumption 5-Star Refrigerators Vs 2-Star Refrigerators:
- From the above table, we can see, the 192 ltr (2-star) refrigerator from Samsung consumes 203 kWh, whereas, the 198 ltr (5-star) refrigerator consumes just 107 kWh (almost 60% less than the 2-star one).
Power Consumption 5-Star Refrigerators Vs 1-Star Refrigerators:
- From the above table, we can see, the 192 ltr (1-star) refrigerator from Samsung consumes 254 kWh, whereas, the 225 ltr (5-star) refrigerator consumes just 107 kWh (almost 60% less than the 1-star one).
The bottom line is “More energy stars mean more saving”, to quantify it, with every additional energy-saving star you can expect almost a 20% reduction in power consumption.
Now let’s look at the cost of running 5-star refrigerators and see how much electricity bill they can save when compared to 4-star and 3-star refrigerators.
How Much Does It Cost To Run a 5 Star Refrigerator:
You can find the cost to run any refrigerator by using the below formula.
Cost to run a refrigerator = Power consumption of the refrigerator X electricity tariff.
You can find the annual power consumption of a refrigerator from its energy-saving label.
The electricity tariff is basically the amount your electricity provider charges you for one kWh (unit) of electricity. I live in Mumbai, India here the electricity tariff is Rs 10/kWh.
Unit or kWh is the electricity consumption of an appliance, this is printed on your refrigerator’s energy-saving label.
I have put together the following table that shows the electricity tariff of a few countries.
Electricity Tariff Around The World:
| Country | Electricity Tariff | Country | Electricity Tariff |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 0.154/kWh | India | Rs 6/kWh |
| United Kingdom | £ 0.27/kWh | Germany | € 0.44/kWh |
| Canada | C$ 0.30/kWh | Philippines | ₱ 9.70/kWh |
| Australia | A$ 0.32/kWh | South Africa | R 2.558/kWh |
You can also check out the following resources to know your electricity tariff:
- https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/electricity_prices/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-prices-in-selected-countries/
In the table below, I have calculated the annual running cost of different energy star-rated Samsung refrigerators in Mumbai (India), the Philippines, and the US.
| Single-Door Refrigerator Size | Annual Power Consumption (kWh) | Mumbai, India Rs 10/kWh | Philippines ₱ 9.70/kWh | USA 16.20 cents/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 192 ltr (1 star) | 254 kWh | Rs 2,540 | ₱ 2,463 | $ 40.64 |
| 192 ltr (2 star) | 203 kWh | Rs 2,030 | ₱ 1,969 | $ 32.48 |
| 192 ltr (3 star) | 162 kWh | Rs 1,620 | ₱ 1,571 | $ 25.92 |
| 192 ltr (4 star) | 130 kWh | Rs 1,300 | ₱ 1,261 | $ 20.80 |
| 198 ltr (4 star) | 131 kWh | Rs 1,310 | ₱ 1,270 | $ 20.96 |
| 198 ltr (5 star) | 104 kWh | Rs 1,040 | ₱ 1,008 | $ 16.64 |
From the above table, it’s pretty clear that it does not cost a fortune to run refrigerators, especially the ones with higher energy-saving stars.
The annual electricity cost for running a 198 ltr (5-star) refrigerator is Rs 1,040 in Mumbai, India, whereas, the cost to run a 192 ltr (1-star) refrigerator is Rs 2,540. (almost 2.5 times of 5-star refrigerators)
One thing I would like to point out is, a 5-star rated refrigerator from 2022 is much more energy-efficient than a 5-star rated refrigerator from 5 or 10 years back.
Let’s see exactly how much.
Do Old Refrigerators Consume a Lot Of Power?
- The image on the left is of my house refrigerator. It’s a 2010 model, 230 ltr, 4-star rated energy-efficient refrigerator from LG. Its annual power consumption is 460 kWh.
- The image on the right is of a 2021 model, 260 ltr, 3-star refrigerator from LG, its annual power consumption is just 198 kWh.
- Hence, you can clearly see, in the last 10 years, the annual power consumption of 4-star-rated refrigerators is reduced by more than half.
(Well my old fridge had 4 stars and the new one has just 3, but still, its power consumption is half of my old fridge).
Hence, it’s safe to say, yes, old refrigerators consume a lot of electricity. In fact, old refrigerators consume almost two times more power than new refrigerators of similar size.
If you have a 10 – 15-year-old refrigerator then replacing it with a new energy-efficient one can significantly reduce your electricity bill.
If you don’t want to buy a new refrigerator and still reduce your electricity bill then here are a few tips to help you reduce your refrigerator’s power consumption even more.
Energy Saving Tips To Keep Your Refrigerator Operational Costs Low
- Keep the refrigerator full – This sounds bizarre but keeping your refrigerator full helps to cut down the power consumption. A full refrigerator does not mean overstuffing the refrigerator, it means a more organized fridge that has enough place for proper air circulation.
- Optimize temperature settings – Most refrigerators are running at temperatures way below what’s needed. On average a temperature of 2 C to 5 C is ideal for the fridge compartment and for the freezer, anything between -10 C to -15 C is good. Don’t overdo the temperature. Just switch your refrigerator setting to normal on normal days and below normal on cold days (use the regulator inside your refrigerator).
- Keep the refrigerator door closed – Frequent opening and closing of the refrigerator door puts an unnecessary load on the compressor to cool the fresh warm air that enters the space every time you open the door. If you cut down your door opening frequency you will see a drop in your power consumption.
- Place refrigerator strategically – Two questions your should ask yourself before finalizing your refrigerator place. First, is the place getting direct sunlight? if yes, then look for some other place or restrict the sunlight coming to that place by some means. Second, is there any space between the refrigerator walls and your house wall after placing the refrigerator? Ideally, you should keep 6 inches of space on all three sides for proper ventilation. You can check out this awesome article from Samsung on how to place your refrigerator How much free space should I allow around my refrigerator?
- Lifestyle changes – Do not keep hot food directly in the refrigerator. First, let the food cool down and then put it in the refrigerator. Periodically clean the evaporator and condenser coils. Keep your food organized so there is enough space for free air movement.
if you liked this article on the power consumption of refrigerators then please share it with your friends on Facebook, Pinterest, WhatsApp, and Reddit.
You can check out this article to learn more about the power consumption of common household appliances.
Check out my articles on solar power for home and how it can help you save your electricity bill.
Check out the following articles to know the power consumption of other appliances:
- Power consumption of infrared heaters.
- Power consumption of water heater
- Power consumption of tankless water heater.
- Power consumption of an electric immersion heater.
- Power consumption of an electric kettle.
- Power consumption of an electric fireplace.
- Power consumption of a washing machine.
- Power consumption of air conditioner.
You can check out this article to learn more about the power consumption of common household appliances.
Check out my articles on solar power for your home and how it can help you save your electricity bill.
Thank you for reading.
Aavjo 👋
References:
- https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/electricity_prices/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/263492/electricity-prices-in-selected-countries/
- https://www.samsung.com/in/microsite/single-door-refrigerators/
- https://www.lg.com/in/refrigerators
- https://www.beestarlabel.com/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Energy_Efficiency
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