What a refrigerator costs to run in Washington
Washington homes use 773 kWh a year on a refrigerator. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $40.44 to $117.72 a year across 22 published Washington plans — a $77.28 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 | $39.96 | −$0.48 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RLS-Residential Low-Income: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $39.96 | −$0.48 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule RES-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Suburbantime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $39.96 | −$0.48 | 4.4¢ |
| Schedule REC - Residential Elderly/Disabled: Citytime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $39.96 | −$0.48 | 4.4¢ |
| RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35✓ cheapesttiered | $40.44 | — | 5.9¢ |
| Schedule REB-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Burientime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $41.93 | +$1.49 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RLB-Residential Low Income: Burientime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $41.95 | +$1.51 | 4.5¢ |
| Schedule RET-Residential Elderly/Disabled: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $42.51 | +$2.07 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLT-Residential Low-Income: Tukwilatime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $42.52 | +$2.08 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLH- Residential Low-Income: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $42.72 | +$2.28 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REH- Residential Elderly/Disabled: Shorelinetime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $42.72 | +$2.28 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RLE-Residential Low Income: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · low-income rate | $42.72 | +$2.28 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule REE-Residential Elderly/Disabled: SeaTactime-of-use · tiered · elderly or disabled customers only | $42.72 | +$2.28 | 4.6¢ |
| Schedule RSC - Residential: Seattleflat rate | $107.52 | +$67.08 | 15.3¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: Rentonflat rate | $108.96 | +$68.52 | 15.5¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Normandy Parkflat rate | $115.92 | +$75.48 | 16.4¢ |
| Schedule RST-Residential: Tukwilaflat rate | $116.76 | +$76.32 | 16.6¢ |
| Schedule RSE-Residential: SeaTacflat rate | $117.72 | +$77.28 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: Burienflat rate | $117.72 | +$77.28 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSH-Residential: Shorelineflat rate | $117.72 | +$77.28 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSB-Residential: King Countyflat rate | $117.72 | +$77.28 | 16.7¢ |
| Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Parkflat rate | $117.72 | +$77.28 | 16.7¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $24.96 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $72.48, a $47.52 spread
- Average — cheapest $40.44 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $117.72, a $77.28 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $49.32 (RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35), dearest $143.64, a $94.32 spread
What a refrigerator costs here
Across 22 plans priced in Washington, a refrigerator adds $40.44 to $117.72 a year — $3.37 to $9.81 a month. The median plan puts a refrigerator at $117.24 a year.
Cheapest for a refrigerator: RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35, Modern Electric Water Company. Dearest: Schedule RSL-Residential: Lake Forest Park, City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company).
Those 773 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 773 kWh a year across 439 sampled homes that run one, near the national 839 kWh. The middle half spans 476 kWh to 943 kWh, so a refrigerator varies by 467 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 7% of the electricity a Washington home uses. The remaining 10,218 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 Washington provider's cheapest plan: Modern Electric Water Company, $40.44; City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company), $107.52.
City of Seattle, Washington (Utility Company) charges $67.08 a year more than Modern Electric Water Company on RESIDENTIAL - SCHEDULE 35 for the same 773 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a refrigerator
A household in the lighter quarter runs a refrigerator for 476 kWh a year and pays $24.96 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 943 kWh and pays $49.32 — $24.36 more for a refrigerator 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.