How Much Electricity Does A Mini Fridge Use? Top Full Guide 2022

It is difficult to calculate How much electricity does a mini fridge use because each refrigerator has a different energy usage. A lot of factors can affect a fridge’s electricity costs such as how often the door is opened and the lights are on. However, a few rules of thumb can provide you with a general estimate.

Keep reading our blog, Dream Cheeky will answer the question How many watts a mini fridge uses?

How Much Electricity Does A Mini Fridge Use?

Mini-fridges use an average of 55 to 85 watts depending on the size and insulation level. A mini-fridge will annually cost you $19 to $29 to run, with an average price of $12 cents per 1kWh in the US.

Remember that the energy consumed by a fridge varies from one to another. Indeed, the energy consumed by a mini-fridge can double when you take another mini-fridge of the same performance, but of different models.

The main factor in choosing a mini-fridge is energy consumption. It is expressed in Watts. The temperature in the room, the contents of the fridge, and the number of settings used, all have an impact on the electricity consumption.

Is That a Lot Of Electricity?

Mini-fridges typically use between 55 and 85 watts an hour. We can multiply this by 365 days to get an annual electricity consumption of 160kWh. We use the average electricity price at 12 cents per kWh to calculate the annual energy cost. This will eventually come out to $19.2 for an annual mini-fridge.

A mini-refrigerator can help you save energy use if your large refrigerator is used frequently to get the next cold drink. A mini-fridge loses a lot less cold air than your kitchen fridge every time you open it.

Let’s take an example. A mini-fridge that can hold 90 cans has a volume of only 2.2 cubic feet. Comparing this to a standard refrigerator in the kitchen, it is clear that Frigidaire refrigerators are 18 to 27 cubic inches larger. You can imagine opening the 25-cubic foot refrigerator each time you need a soda. This metric shows how mini-fridges are much more energy-efficient than regular fridges.

Understanding Refrigerator Energy Consumption

The factors that influence how much electricity a small refrigerator will use vary depending on its size, manufacturer, and features, just like full-size refrigerators. Most mini-fridges are typically 1.7 to 4 cubic feet and receive an Energy Star rating as they use less than 239.42 Kilowatt-hours/year in manual defrost versions.

Comparing a refrigerator with 18.2 cubic feet of storage and that uses 424kWh/year, you will see a better energy efficiency per square foot. Report testings show that a mini-fridge with 4.5 per cubic foot of storage costs approximately $27 per year, while a larger refrigerator of 20.6 cubic inches costs about $47.

Smaller refrigerator models can use more energy per volume. The energy balance per volume is affected by the size of the appliance. Here’s how it works:

• 60 Liter volume: 100 kWh / $12.00
• 40 Liter volume: 70 kWh / $8.40
• 20 Liter volume: 50 kWh / $6.00

A surcharge can be added to refrigerators that have freezer compartments. Silent refrigerators can quickly double their consumption. The datasheet for many devices will also include an estimate of their annual consumption.

Things That Affects Mini-Fridge Power Use

There are a few things that will affect the energy consumption of a mini-fridge. These are:

Model: Some models have higher efficiency than others, and they have an A++ Energy Star rating.

Size: Although they can be sized in different ways, larger volumes have a higher energy consumption.

Position: Mini-fridge in warm positions will consume more power.

Season: All mini-fridges use more power in summer than in winter, because the ambient temperature is higher.

Use: A compressor that is used to cool food and drinks will have to work harder if the fridge door is left open.

Settings: Factory settings can cause higher energy consumption than is necessary.

Age: Old fridges are less efficient than those with high star ratings.

My mini fridge is calculated using the following numbers:

Fridge Wattage =80 Watts

Daily Use Estimate = 8 Hours per day

Total power = 80W x 8h = 642Wh = 0.64kWh/day

Total cost = 0.64kWh/day x 365 days x $0.12/kWh = $28.03/year

Basic Mini Fridge Power Consumption Calculator:

Fridge Wattage (W) x Hours Per Day (h) = Watt-hours per day

Watt-hours / 1000 = kWh per day

How Much Will A Mini-fridge Raise My Electric Bill?

The size of the mini-fridge (from 1.7 to 4.5 cubic feet) and the insulation level can affect how much your annual cost. It could increase your bill anywhere from $20 up to $50, depending on its size. It is difficult to predict how much energy your mini-fridge will consume because they do not consume energy continuously.

Instead, they are turned on and off in cycles. They use the most energy when they’re used often or when hot objects are inside. The insulation level is another important aspect of their performance. NewAir mini-fridges have triple-layer insulation and double-glazed doors. The less energy required to maintain the temperature at 34 degrees or 36 degrees (1.1C or 2.2C) or any other temperature that you choose for cold drinks, the more protected the refrigerator interior is from the environment.

Some refrigerators are more efficient than others, and you can determine their electricity consumption by understanding the meaning of the numbers.

It Is Energy Efficient To Store Many Drinks At Once

When compared to full-size fridges, compact fridges are a lot more energy-efficient. They can keep things chilled at more or less the same temperature but while using less power.

A compact refrigerator allows you to reach for any can or bottle that you need right away. You will know exactly where everything is thanks to the glass doors on your refrigerator. You don’t need to run to the kitchen if your friend drinks a soda in five minutes. You don’t have to worry about your friends finishing their drinks and waiting for the next batch to cool down.

NewAir’s smallest fridge can hold 90 cans while having 177 cans and 92 beer bottles. There’s no need to worry about running low on cold beverages. You won’t need to add ice cubes to your soda if it is kept at 34 degrees F. Our mini-refrigerators have external condenser coils that work in conjunction with an evaporator, compressor, and compressor, which provide big cooling power in small packages.

Read more about our related article What to put in mini fridge

How Many Watts a Mini Fridge Uses?

The regular wattage for a mini-fridge is usually between 55 watts and 85 watts depending on its size. Each fridge is measured in Watts. It is the power used by the fridges when they are in use. From it, we can calculate electricity usage per hour, day, and month.

Electrical utilities charge by the kilowatt-hour. All residential power consumption is measured in kilowatt-hours, and that’s how your utility company charges you. The Energy Star ratings also use kWh / year as their standard for energy efficiency.

These models don’t turn On and Off as often as larger models. Here’s an example of how many kWh in a year your mini-fridge consumes.

A Mini fridge runs for 8 hours per day. To calculate watt-hours, multiply 55 watts used for 8 hours by the hours. In a single day, we get 440 watt-hours.

Now, we need to convert Watt-hours into Kilowatt-hours (kWh), as power consumption is measured using kWh. This is how your energy bill is charged by your utility company. Divide 440 Wh by 1000 to get Kilowatt-hours. This will give you 0.440 kWh. It will cost you $0.052 per hour to heat a mini-fridge for 8 hours. We get an electricity cost of $19.2 annually if we multiply $0.052 by 365.

This is how much it would cost to run a refrigerator for a year filled with ice-cold soda and beer. Comparing that to a full-sized refrigerator, it consumes 670 kWh per annum, which is approximately $88 annually.

Tips For Saving Money

Keep the door closed

You are increasing the internal temperature of your mini-fridge by opening its door. The engine works overtime to counter this and uses more energy. This affects your power bill. The more energy you use, the more you will have to pay.

You can avoid constantly checking the contents of your mini-fridge if you are trying to keep your budget low and reduce power consumption.

Do not leave the doors open for long

You’ll pay more per year if you leave the doors open too long. The modern refrigerators of regular and mini sizes beep when they are left open too long.

Stack items efficiently

It’s a great way to save money by putting your food and drink away in an organized manner. First, it makes it easy to find what you are looking for quickly and easily. The fridge’s cold air can circulate freely and cool down each shelf more evenly. This stops the engine from being in overwork mode to lower the temperature and reduce energy consumption.

Defrost whenever needed

You might have noticed that your mini-fridge shelves and walls can sometimes become iced up. This is normal but it’s something you need to address. The engine will respond if you don’t. To lower the temperature inside the mini-refrigerator, the engine will work harder than usual.

Keep it away from heat sources

A second money-saving tip: Keep your mini-fridge out of direct sunlight. Compact fridges will work harder if the temperature outside is too high.

It is best to keep it out of heat-producing appliances (e.g. tea kettles and instant pots), as well as outside of cabinets.

Know Exactly How Much Power Your Fridge Consume

A power meter (also known as a wattmeter) is required to determine the actual wattage of your mini-fridge. These devices were made for this purpose and work well. This is the simplest and most cost-effective way to accurately measure your mini-fridge’s power consumption. The power monitor has a screen that displays real-time information about the consumption of your fridge and a group of other devices.

You can even translate the electricity consumed into dollars with some models. This allows you to distinguish between off-peak and peak hour rates. The power meter will give you the actual information, not an estimate. Simply plug in your mini-fridge for 24 hours to see how much electricity it uses.

Are Mini Fridges Worth It?

Compact refrigerators are also called mini-fridges. They have sizes ranging from 1.7 to 4.5 cubic yards and offer many benefits. These mini fridges are compact, affordable, easy to maintain, and have fewer dimensions than regular refrigerators.

Compact refrigerators typically have a volume of 60-liters or less. This is sufficient for one household. A micro-refrigerator with a volume of 20 or less is sometimes used. This is not enough to provide sufficient refrigeration for an entire household. They are instead used to cool drinks on the patio or in the living room.

It is important to remember that quiet refrigerators are not energy efficient. The technology of the silent compressor works almost continuously, but only intermittently. You can also use a quiet refrigerator in your bedroom to keep the night from being disturbed.