What a separate freezer costs to run in Washington
Washington homes use 538 kWh a year on a separate freezer. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $28.20 to $81.96 a year across 22 published Washington plans — a $53.76 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule RLC - Residential Low-Income: Citytime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $27.80 | −$0.40 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RLS-Residential Low-Income: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $27.81 | −$0.39 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RES-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $27.81 | −$0.39 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule REC - Residential Elderly/Disabled: Citytime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $27.84 | −$0.36 | 4.4¢ |
| RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35✓ cheapesttiered | $28.20 | — | 5.9¢ |
| Schedule RLB-Residential Low Income: Burientime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $29.16 | +$0.96 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule REB-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Burientime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $29.20 | +$1.00 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RLT-Residential Low-Income: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $29.56 | +$1.36 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RET-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $29.56 | +$1.36 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLH- Residential Low-Income: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $29.69 | +$1.49 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $29.69 | +$1.49 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLE-Residential Low Income: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $29.69 | +$1.49 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REE-Residential Elderly/Disabled: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $29.69 | +$1.49 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattleflat rate | $74.88 | +$46.68 | 15.3¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: Rentonflat rate | $75.84 | +$47.64 | 15.5¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Normandy Parkflat rate | $80.64 | +$52.44 | 16.4¢ |
| Schedule RST-Residential: Tukwilaflat rate | $81.24 | +$53.04 | 16.6¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: SeaTacflat rate | $81.96 | +$53.76 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: Burienflat rate | $81.96 | +$53.76 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSH-Residential: Shorelineflat rate | $81.96 | +$53.76 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: King Countyflat rate | $81.96 | +$53.76 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Parkflat rate | $81.96 | +$53.76 | 16.7¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $15.48 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $44.76, a $29.28 spread
- Average — cheapest $28.20 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $81.96, a $53.76 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $36.60 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $106.32, a $69.72 spread
What a separate freezer costs here
Across 22 plans priced in Washington, a separate freezer adds $28.20 to $81.96 a year — $2.35 to $6.83 a month. The median plan puts a separate freezer at $81.60 a year.
Cheapest for a separate freezer: RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35, Modern Electric Water Company. Dearest: Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Park, City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company).
Those 538 kWh are billed at 5.2¢–15.2¢, against a 16.6¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Washington homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 538 kWh a year across 180 sampled homes that run one, near the national 570 kWh. The middle half spans 294 kWh to 698 kWh, so a separate freezer varies by 405 kWh between one household and another.
A standalone chest or upright freezer, not the freezer compartment of a fridge. That average covers homes with a separate freezer — 37% of homes here.
That makes a separate freezer about 5% of the electricity a Washington home uses. The remaining 10,453 kWh is what a separate freezer is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
By provider
On each Washington provider's cheapest plan: Modern Electric Water Company, $28.20; City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company), $74.88.
City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company) charges $46.68 a year more than Modern Electric Water Company on RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35 for the same 538 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a separate freezer
A household in the lighter quarter runs a separate freezer for 294 kWh a year and pays $15.48 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 698 kWh and pays $36.60 — $21.12 more for a separate freezer on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Washington, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 22 Washington tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 47.6588, -117.4260.