Cost To Run A Freezer [Based On 354 Models | $$ Saving Tips]

Last updated: February 15, 2024.

How much does it cost to run a freezer? Find out here. And get 10 tips to keep your freezer running costs and carbon footprint low.

From deep freezers and chest freezers to compact and upright freezers, in this article you’ll see how much it costs to run a freezer (based on comprehensive analysis of 354 different models, now updated to capture 2024).

You’ll also get a Freezer Electricity Cost Calculator and 10 simple tips to reduce your freezer running costs.

Spoilers:

• It costs $54.78 per year to run a freezer, on average. This works out to $4.56 per month, $0.15 per day and $0.006 per hour.
• Compact chest freezers are the cheapest to run, costing $29.47 annually, on average.
• Upright freezers are the most expensive freezers to run, with the average cost coming in at $66.83 per year.
• The freezer that consumes the least amount of electricity per cubic foot of capacity costs $4.33 per month to run. See this appliance, incl. the price, on Best Buy, here, Home Depot, here, or Lowe’s, here.
• The energy efficient freezer that consumes the least amount of electricity per year costs $20.55 to run. Check it out on Amazon, here, or Walmart, here.

Use the Freezer Electricity Cost Calculator below to see your own specific costs, based on your unit rate. Or simply skip to the 10 cost saving tips to keep your freezer running costs and carbon footprint low.

Note: costs are based on a $0.15 per kWh unit rate (the US average), and the power consumption study detailed, here (updated for 2024).

How much does it cost to run a freezer 

It costs $0.15 per day to run a freezer, on average.

Per month, it costs $4.56 to run a freezer, with the annual cost being $54.78 on average.

The most common cost to run a freezer is $0.16 per day, $4.92 per month and $59.10 per year.

Overall, it costs between $0.06 and $0.27 per day to run a freezer.

The table below shows how much it costs to run a freezer per hour, day, month and year.

Freezer type and efficiency impact how much power freezers consume, and therefore, their running costs.

If you’re interested in investing in solar to generate your own electricity so you can power your freezer for free, don’t miss: Solar Generator For Freezer [What You Need To Know]. This article will help you avoid food wastage during blackouts and even enable you to take your freezer completely off-grid.

Also, for background into freezer power consumption, check out: Freezer Wattage Results [Most Efficient Revealed]. This article will also help ensure we’re on the same page in terms of freezer definitions (e.g. what’s the difference between a chest freezer and a deep freezer?), so do check it out.

Before we look at running costs by freezer type, let’s see how much it costs to run the most energy efficient freezers on the market.

Cost to run the most energy efficient freezer

It costs $4.33 per month to run the most energy efficient freezer. This works out to $0.14 per day, $0.006 per hour and $51.90 per year.

This cost is slightly lower than the average cost to run a freezer. However, this freezer (the GE FCM22DLWW) has a massive 21.7 ft3 capacity.

With the lowest power consumption per cubic foot capacity, this chest freezer is the most energy efficient freezer on the market.

Check it out (and see the latest prices) on Best Buy, here, Home Depot, here, or Lowe’s, here.

It’s worth noting that the smallest freezer, with the lowest power consumption within that size range, that suits your needs will generally (if ENERGY STAR certified) be the most energy efficient model for you. Source.

As mentioned, freezer type impacts running costs. This is because some types are more energy efficient than others.

So, next, let’s take a look at the costs to run the most energy efficient freezer by type.

Running costs of the most efficient freezers (by type)

The table below lists the cost to run the most energy efficient chest, compact chest, deep, upright and compact upright freezers. 

Also included are freezers that consume the least amount of electricity in these categories.

These freezers are standout performers from all ENERGY STAR certified freezers, in the study of 354 freezers.

Related: How Many Amps Does A Freezer Use? [Surge, Running & Low Amp Freezers].

But how do they compare with the overall average running cost of each freezer type?

To find out, let’s take a look at the cost to run each type of freezer.

Cost to run a chest freezer 

It costs 10 cents per day to run a chest freezer, on average.

Annually, it costs $36.60 to run a chest freezer. This works out to $3.05 per month and $0.0042 per hour.

That’s the average cost. What about the range of costs?

It costs between $30.15 and $51.90 per year, $2.51 to $4.32 per month and $0.08 to $0.14 per day to run a modern chest freezer.

The table below shows the average, most common, highest and lowest cost to run a chest freezer across various durations.

As mentioned, these costs are based on a $0.15 per kWh unit rate, which is the US average.

Next, let’s take a look at deep freezer running costs.

“Deep freezer” is a subjective term, so check out What Is A Deep Freezer to ensure we’re on the same page.

How much does it cost to run a deep freezer 

It costs $2.73 per month to run a deep freezer, on average.

Running a deep freezer costs $32.73 per year, $2.73 per month and $0.0038 per hour on average.

The most common cost to run a deep freezer is lower than the overall average for freezers.

The most common cost to run a deep freezer is $29.40 per year, $2.45 per month, $0.08 per day and $0.0033 per hour.

Overall, the cost to run a deep freezer ranges from $25.80 to $51.90 annually, $2.15 to $4.32 monthly, $0.07 to $0.14 daily and $0.0030 to $0.0059 hourly.

The table below summarizes how much it costs to run a deep freezer.

Deep freezers cost slightly less to run than chest freezers. This is because large compact chest freezers fall into this category, which are cheaper to run due to their smaller size.

Speaking of smaller sizes, let’s take a look at compact freezers next.

Compact freezer running costs

It costs $2.93 per month to run a compact freezer, on average.

Per year, day and hour, it costs $35.13, $0.096 and $0.0041, respectively, to run a compact freezer on average. 

The table below shows the average, most common, highest and lowest cost to run a compact freezer per year, month, day and hour.

Interestingly, it costs more to run a compact freezer than a chest freezer.

This is because compact freezers include both compact chest and compact upright freezer types.

Separating compact upright from compact chest, we can see that the more power hungry compact upright freezer type increases the average considerably.

Here are the compact freezer running costs separated into compact upright and compact chest:

• Compact upright freezers cost $39.30 per year to run, on average. This works out to $3.27 per month, 11 cents per day and $0.004 per hour.
• Compact chest freezers cost $29.47 per year to run, on average, which works out to $2.46 monthly, $0.08 daily and $0.003 hourly.

So, compact upright freezers cost more to run than all other freezer types, apart from larger upright freezers.

Continue reading to see a table arranging the running costs of each freezer type from lowest to highest.

Next, let’s take a look at large upright freezer running costs.

How much does it cost to run an upright freezer 

It costs $0.18 per day to run an upright freezer, on average.

Per year, it costs $66.83 to run an upright freezer, $5.57 per month and $0.008 per hour.

However, the most common running cost is slightly lower.

The most common cost to run an upright freezer is $59.10 annually, $4.92 monthly, $0.16 daily and $0.007 hourly.

Overall, the cost to run a modern upright freezer ranges from $37.05 to $97.35 per year, $3.09 to $8.11 per month, $0.10 to $0.27 per day and $0.004 to $0.011 per hour.

The table below summarizes how much it costs to run an upright freezer.

So, upright freezers are the most expensive to run followed by compact upright freezers.

But where do the remaining freezer types fall?

Freezer running cost ranked by type

The table below, arranged from lowest to highest, shows the average annual cost of running different freezer types.

In general, compact chest freezers are the cheapest type of freezer to run.

The second cheapest type of freezer to run is a deep freezer, followed in third place by larger chest freezers.

Upright freezers are the most expensive to run.

Compact upright freezers are the fourth cheapest / second expensive to run. Their larger sized counterparts, upright freezers, are the most expensive to run.

On average, it costs twice as much to run an upright freezer compared to a compact chest freezer.

Next, let’s take a look at how freezer electricity costs compare by brand.

Cost to run by freezer brand

The table below lists the average and lowest cost to run freezers by brand. The table is arranged from lowest to highest average cost per year.

As you can see, Sylvania freezers have the lowest average annual running costs.

However, Avanti produces the freezer with the lowest annual running cost. See the model on Amazon, here, or Walmart, here.

A different freezer type might better suit your needs so don’t miss the “Running costs of the most efficient freezers (by type)” section above – here you’ll get links to the most energy efficient freezers by type.

So now that we know how much it costs to run a freezer, let’s put the costs into perspective.

Are freezers expensive to run 

Yes. Freezers are expensive to run.

It costs $54.78 per year to run a freezer, on average. This may not be considered expensive by some. However, compared to the running costs of other household appliances, this is expensive.

The annual cost of running a freezer is equivalent to:

• The cost of running a TV for 3.4 years.
• The cost of running a laptop for 18 years.
• The cost of running a dishwasher for 1.35 years.
• The cost of running an average top freezer refrigerator for ¾ of a year.

Freezers account for 3.5% of US electricity bills, on average.

This is more than most other household appliances and home devices.

But these are averages. How much does it cost you to run a freezer? Use the calculator below to find out.

Freezer electricity cost calculator

See how much it costs you to run your freezer per year, month, day and hour, by using the Freezer Electricity Cost Calculator below.

Simply enter the price you pay per kWh and your freezer’s annual power consumption, which is typically noted, in kWh, on a label attached to the appliance. A simple online search can also reveal its annual power consumption.

This calculator is pre-populated with the average unit rate in the US and the most common annual freezer power consumption found in the study of 354 different models.

Now that we know the electricity costs, let’s take a look at how you can reduce them.

How to reduce the cost of running a freezer – 10 tips

1. Avoid over-cooling. The colder a freezer setting is, the more power a freezer consumes. The US Food & Drug Administration notes that “freezer temperature should be 0° F (-18° C).” If it’s applicable, reduce your freezer’s temperature to reduce its running costs.
2. Keep it shut. Reducing the amount of times you open a freezer will reduce its running costs. Freezers draw more power when actively cooling. Limiting the amount of cool air that escapes will limit the amount of work a freezer needs to do to stay at its set temperature.
3. Keep away from heat. The surrounding area of a freezer impacts its running costs. Freezers that are placed next to cookers, microwaves, radiators, etc., will need to work harder to stay cool. Freezers placed in darker, cooler places, will consume less electricity and, as a result, will cost less to run.
4. Give it some space. Freezers dissipate heat. If that heat is trapped nearby, freezers will consume more power to stay cool and, therefore, will cost more to run. To keep your costs low, ensure that there is sufficient airflow around the freezer. This usually means leaving 2 – 3 inches of space around the appliance, particularly at the back. However, some manufacturers suggest allowing more, e.g. Avanti recommends 5 inches of space between the back and sides of their CF24Q0W chest freezer. Check the user manual for your freezer to see the recommended spacing. They may also list energy saving tips along with installation instructions specifically related to that model.
5. Don’t forget the coils. Freezer coils help dissipate heat, but dirt and dust can build up around them. This can reduce freezer efficiency. Cleaning the coils can help ensure that you keep your freezer running costs low.
6. Don’t freeze warm food. Let it cool first. Placing warm food directly in a freezer increases the internal temperature. Freezers will enter active cooling mode, likely a number of times, to bring the internal temperature back down. This mode consumes a significant amount of electricity. For example, at start up there’s a surge in power draw that is typically more than double the power rating of the appliance. Letting the warm food reach room temperature before freezing will reduce your running costs.
7. Check for wear and tear on the seals. Over time freezer seals can become less effective, allowing the cooler internal air to escape. This means the freezer needs to consume more electricity to stay cool. To ensure you’re not wasting electricity and money, check freezer seals regularly.
8. Keep it stocked up. Frozen goods retain cooler temperatures for longer periods than air. When a freezer door opens, cool air escapes. When closed, the frozen goods help cool and stabilize the internal temperature. Keeping your freezer packed with frozen food helps reduce the amount of work that the appliance needs to do. This helps keep your freezer running costs low.
9. Consider upgrading. Modern freezers, particularly those that are ENERGY STAR certified, tend to come equipped with high-efficiency compressors & evaporators, enhanced insulation & design, along with other cooling mechanisms that save energy. The freezers noted above are all ENERGY STAR certified – they’re actually the standout performers of all certified freezers. A convenient shortlist of the most energy efficient freezers by type is listed above.
10. Consider switching utility provider. Energy companies tend to offer considerable discounts to attract new customers. If available, consider shopping around for a cheaper utility company. This can reduce, not just your feezer running costs, but the running costs of all your household appliances.

Bonus eco tips:

• If you’re in the market for a new freezer, keep an eye out on the refrigerant type – some are more environmentally friendly than others. For example, R-600a is a refrigerant type with lower global warming potential.
• If you do end up shopping around for a cheaper utility company, or are simply looking to reduce your carbon footprint even more, ask about Green energy plans. These are usually slightly more expensive, however, they can drastically reduce the negative impact households have on the environment.

Final thoughts

Freezers are expensive to run, at least compared to other household appliances.

I hope that the 10 tips to reduce the cost of running your freezer helps you keep your bills and carbon footprint low.

If you’re interested in learning more about the power consumption study used to identify the running costs, check out: Freezer Wattage Results [Most Efficient Revealed].

This study was based on the actual power consumption of 354 freezers.

You might also be interested in seeing how many amps a freezer uses.

If you’d like to quickly reduce your bills and carbon footprint more dramatically, don’t miss this 6 quick wins cheat sheet, here: 

Save 28% ($32.28) p/m on your electric bills

Get the 6 Quick Wins Cheat Sheet. No appliance upgrades or investments are required, just follow these 6 tips to reduce your bills & carbon footprint.

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James F

James F (not to be confused with ECS co-founder James) is our lead author, content & website manager. He has a BSc. in Digital Marketing, and a Diploma in IT. He became a qualified electrician while studying electrical engineering part-time.

From wind and solar photovoltaic installers, James F worked with many certified energy practitioners and energy consultants before joining the core ECS team. He also helped build the most downloaded energy saving app while working with a leading utility company.

Read more about James F or connect directly on LinkedIn, here.