What Does It Cost to Run a Refrigerator in Pennsylvania?
This page estimates the energy-only cost to run a refrigerator in Pennsylvania using a typical compressor-cycle refrigerator, an average load of 180 watts, and a typical runtime of 8 hours/day.
Key metrics
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average wattage assumption | 180 W |
| Typical usage assumption | 8 hours/day |
| Estimated monthly electricity use | 43.2 kWh |
| Estimated monthly cost | $7.68 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $93.45 |
Refrigerator cost vs U.S. average
At the statewide average residential rate, running a refrigerator in Pennsylvania costs more per month by $0.09 than the same usage pattern priced at the current U.S. average electricity rate.
How much electricity does a refrigerator use?
This estimate uses a typical wattage range of 100-250 W and a modeling assumption of 180 watts for 8 hours/day. Using the formula kWh = (watts × hours) / 1000, that works out to 1.44 kWh per day, 43.2 kWh per 30-day month, and 525.6 kWh per year.
Refrigerators cycle on and off during the day, so the average running load is lower than peak startup wattage. In Pennsylvania, that energy is priced using the statewide residential average of 17.78 ¢/kWh, with a national benchmark of 17.57 ¢/kWh for comparison.
Refrigerator operating cost estimate in Pennsylvania
| Time period | Energy use | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour | 0.18 kWh | $0.03 |
| Per day | 1.44 kWh | $0.26 |
| Per month | 43.2 kWh | $7.68 |
| Per year | 525.6 kWh | $93.45 |
These estimates isolate electricity usage only. Real utility bills can be higher because delivery charges, taxes, seasonal pricing, and fixed monthly fees are not included in this appliance model.
What changes the cost the most?
The biggest cost drivers for a refrigerator are the local electricity rate and real-world usage intensity. For this appliance, the main swing factors are appliance age, door-opening frequency, garage vs indoor placement.
If your usage is lighter or heavier than the assumption on this page, the linked state calculator and usage-cost pages below are the fastest way to model a custom scenario with the same state electricity rate.
For calculator-focused intent, use the Refrigerator calculator in Pennsylvania to compare light, typical, and heavy usage profiles.
Comparison discovery pathways
Use the curated Energy Comparison Hub to move between appliance, state, and usage comparison routes without changing canonical ownership for appliance cost intent.
Rollout-enabled city context in Pennsylvania
These city pages provide supplemental local context for this same appliance usage profile. City values are deterministic estimates and remain secondary to the canonical appliance-state route.
| City | City rate | Monthly estimate | Yearly estimate | City route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 18.10 ¢/kWh | $7.82 | $93.83 | City electricity context |
| Pittsburgh | 18.00 ¢/kWh | $7.78 | $93.31 | City electricity context |
| Allentown | 17.80 ¢/kWh | $7.69 | $92.28 | City electricity context |
City pages are authority/context routes and not appliance-by-city canonical pages. Appliance cost intent remains canonical at this state-level route.
Related appliance cost pages for Pennsylvania
- Dishwasher cost in Pennsylvania — Typical 1,200-1,800 W estimate with state-specific pricing
- Electric Oven cost in Pennsylvania — Typical 2,000-5,000 W estimate with state-specific pricing
- Microwave cost in Pennsylvania — Typical 600-1,500 W estimate with state-specific pricing
- Toaster Oven cost in Pennsylvania — Typical 1,200-1,800 W estimate with state-specific pricing
State cost and bill pathways for Pennsylvania
- Average power price in Pennsylvania — Residential rate benchmark used in scenario estimates
- Pennsylvania electricity overview — Core authority page with statewide pricing context
- Electricity cost in Pennsylvania — State-level cost, affordability, and value overview
- Electricity cost in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Rollout-gated city electricity context page with deterministic methodology disclosure
- Pennsylvania monthly electricity bill estimate — Bill-focused context for household usage
- Electric bill estimator scenarios in Pennsylvania — Deterministic household-profile bill scenarios
Historical and trend pages
- Historical electricity prices in Pennsylvania — Historical context and trend interpretation
- Electricity inflation in Pennsylvania — State electricity inflation analysis
- Pennsylvania electricity price volatility — Volatility and rate movement profile
Fixed-usage and calculator pathways
- 500 kWh cost in Pennsylvania — Usage-tier estimate for the same state
- 1,000 kWh cost in Pennsylvania — Usage-tier estimate for the same state
- Electricity cost for 1,500 kWh in Pennsylvania — Usage-tier estimate for the same state
- Custom usage calculator for Pennsylvania — Custom kWh and scenario cost calculation
Appliance and estimator pathways
- Refrigerator cost in Pennsylvania — Canonical appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Refrigerator calculator in Pennsylvania — Calculator-intent scenario page for this appliance
- Space Heater cost in Pennsylvania — Canonical appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Space Heater calculator in Pennsylvania — Calculator-intent scenario page for this appliance
- Window Ac cost in Pennsylvania — Canonical appliance operating-cost page for this state
- Window Ac calculator in Pennsylvania — Calculator-intent scenario page for this appliance
State comparison pathways for Pennsylvania
- Compare Pennsylvania with other states — State-to-state comparison hub
- Pennsylvania vs Alabama electricity cost — Head-to-head comparison page
- Pennsylvania vs Alaska electricity cost — Head-to-head comparison page
Discovery and navigation hubs
- Pennsylvania electricity hub — Discovery hub for this state's price, usage, comparison, and tool pages
- Electricity cost scenario hub — Entry point for residential and industry scenario pages
- Pennsylvania electricity cost authority — Canonical state electricity cost cluster page
- Pennsylvania average electricity bill benchmark — Canonical benchmark bill cluster page
- Pennsylvania electricity bill estimator — Canonical estimator cluster page
- Electricity usage hubs — Browse cost pages by common household usage tiers
Consumer electricity drivers
- Price drivers in Pennsylvania — Understand what influences state electricity prices
Source & Method
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Retail Sales of Electricity. Last dataset period: February 2026. Costs are energy-only estimates and exclude delivery charges, taxes, and fixed utility fees.