What a refrigerator costs to run in New York
New York homes use 685 kWh a year on a refrigerator. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $26.74 to $297.11 a year across 83 published New York plans — a $270.37 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
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Cheapest 25 of 83 priced plans, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential✓ cheapesttime-of-use · tiered | $26.74 | — | 3.2¢ |
| SC1C (TOU)- All Zones Deliverytime-of-use · delivery charges only | $32.52 | +$5.78 | 10.1¢ |
| SC1- Delivery Only Service Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $39.84 | +$13.10 | 7.9¢ |
| SC-1 Residential & Religious Optional Demand-Based (Rate IV) - [NYC]demand charge | $40.86 | +$14.12 | 11.0¢ |
| SC-1 Residential & Religious Optional Demand-Based (Rate IV) - [Westchester]demand charge | $40.86 | +$14.12 | 11.0¢ |
| All Regions - SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 12 Residential Service TOU-ESCOtime-of-use · delivery charges only | $45.36 | +$18.62 | 11.8¢ |
| All Regions - SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 8 Residential - Day Night Service - ESCOflat rate · delivery charges only | $53.16 | +$26.42 | 11.6¢ |
| SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 4 RESIDENTIAL SERVICE - TIME-OF-USE RATE RSS - Schedule Itime-of-use | $54.72 | +$27.98 | 12.8¢ |
| SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 1 - RESIDENTIAL SERVICE ESCO Retail Optionflat rate · delivery charges only | $57.36 | +$30.62 | 11.7¢ |
| SC1- Delivery Only Serviceflat rate · delivery charges only | $58.92 | +$32.18 | 11.6¢ |
| SC1C (TOU)- Zone Dtime-of-use | $59.78 | +$33.04 | 14.0¢ |
| SC1C (TOU)- Zone Btime-of-use | $60.65 | +$33.91 | 14.2¢ |
| SC1C (TOU)- Zone Etime-of-use | $63.66 | +$36.92 | 14.6¢ |
| SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 1 - RESIDENTIAL SERVICE RSSflat rate | $63.96 | +$37.22 | 13.5¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Atime-of-use | $64.08 | +$37.34 | 12.3¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Dtime-of-use | $64.08 | +$37.34 | 12.3¢ |
| SERVICE CLASSIFICATION NO. 4 RESIDENTIAL SERVICE - TIME-OF-USE RATE RSS - Schedule IItime-of-use | $64.68 | +$37.94 | 15.0¢ |
| SC1- Zone D Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $64.68 | +$37.94 | 11.5¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Btime-of-use | $65.04 | +$38.30 | 12.5¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Ctime-of-use | $66.84 | +$40.10 | 12.7¢ |
| SC1- Zone B Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $67.08 | +$40.34 | 11.9¢ |
| SC1- Zone C Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $67.68 | +$40.94 | 12.0¢ |
| SC1- Zone E Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $67.80 | +$41.06 | 12.0¢ |
| SC1C (VTOU)- Zone Etime-of-use | $68.04 | +$41.30 | 12.9¢ |
| SC1- Zone F Low Income Rateflat rate · low-income rate | $71.28 | +$44.54 | 12.5¢ |
58 further schedules are published and priced but not listed here — mostly regional and seasonal variants of the plans above. The dearest of them costs $297.11 a year at this usage.
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $16.83 (Residential), dearest $186.58, a $169.75 spread
- Average — cheapest $26.74 (Residential), dearest $297.11, a $270.37 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $32.31 (Residential), dearest $359.23, a $326.92 spread
What a refrigerator costs here
Across 83 plans priced in New York, a refrigerator adds $26.74 to $297.11 a year — $2.23 to $24.76 a month. The median plan puts a refrigerator at $116.55 a year.
Cheapest for a refrigerator: Residential, City of Plattsburgh, New York (Utility Company). Dearest: SC-1 Residential & Religious Vountary TOD (Rate II) - Zone J [NYC], Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc.
Those 685 kWh are billed at 3.9¢–43.4¢, against a 20.3¢ whole-bill average on the median plan: they land in the last tier the household reaches, so the average rate understates them by up to 23.1¢ per kWh.
What New York homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 685 kWh a year across 900 sampled homes that run one, 18% under the national 839 kWh. The middle half spans 430 kWh to 828 kWh, so a refrigerator varies by 398 kWh between one household and another.
Every refrigerator in the home, including a second one in a garage or basement. That average covers homes with a refrigerator — 100% of homes here.
That makes a refrigerator about 10% of the electricity a New York home uses. The remaining 6,231 kWh is what a refrigerator 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 New York provider's cheapest plan: City of Plattsburgh, New York (Utility Company), $26.74; Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc, $40.86; Rochester Gas & Electric Corp, $54.72; Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., $59.78; Long Island Power Authority, $94.80; New York State Elec & Gas Corp, $119.64.
New York State Elec & Gas Corp charges $92.90 a year more than City of Plattsburgh, New York (Utility Company) on Residential for the same 685 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a refrigerator
A household in the lighter quarter runs a refrigerator for 430 kWh a year and pays $16.83 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 828 kWh and pays $32.31 — $15.48 more for a refrigerator on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for New York, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 83 New York 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 44.6995, -73.4529.