Running a freezer
in District of Columbia
Meter reading
per year
412 kWh certified × 25.40¢ per kWh ÷ 100 — median of 652 listed models
Default: District of Columbia residential average, 25.40¢ per kWh, EIA JUL 2026. Overwrite it with the rate printed on your own bill.
SOURCE·ENERGY STAR certified product data·tariff District of Columbia residential average 25.40¢ — EIA Electric Power Monthly, retrieved 2026-07-28·REVIEWED JUL 2026
$104.65 a year A typical ENERGY STAR certified freezer uses 412 kWh a year. At District of Columbia's average residential price of 25.40¢ per kWh, that is $104.65 a year, or $8.72 a month.
The tariff scales the whole rail; the model you buy is what moves the gate along it. The most efficient certified freezer on this tariff draws $34.80 a year, the least efficient $164.85 — a standing difference of $130.05 a year for an appliance doing the same job.
How this is worked out
- Take the certified annual consumption for the appliance class off the EPA's ENERGY STAR register — the median of every listed model, not a wattage anyone assumed.
- Take the residential tariff off the EIA's Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A. Here that is District of Columbia's residential average, 25.40¢ per kWh.
- Multiply, then divide by 100 to come out of cents. Nothing is rounded before this line.
- Derive the rest of the schedule from that one figure: ÷ 12 monthly, ÷ 365 daily, × 10 for a ten-year life.
- Overwrite the tariff terminal with the rate printed on your own bill and the register re-reads. The certified consumption does not move — that is the half of the sum nobody gets to opinion their way out of.
annual cost ($) = certified kWh per year × tariff ¢ per kWh ÷ 100
Every certified freezer, cheapest to run first
The register above reads the median. This is the whole list it was taken from, priced at District of Columbia's tariff. Running cost only — purchase price, capacity and repair record are not in this column, and a cheap-to-run model is not automatically the right buy.
| # | Model | kWh/yr | Cost/yr | vs typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avanti CF24Q0W · Compact | 137 | $34.80 | saves $69.85 |
| 2 | Liebherr UF3651 · Compact | 155 | $39.37 | saves $65.28 |
| 3 | EPIC ECF36W-1 · Compact | 167 | $42.42 | saves $62.23 |
| 4 | Marathon MCF36W-1 · Compact | 167 | $42.42 | saves $62.23 |
| 5 | Kalamera KCF-100E · Compact | 172 | $43.69 | saves $60.96 |
| 6 | Marathon MCF35W-1 · Compact | 172 | $43.69 | saves $60.96 |
| 7 | Danby DCF035A5WDB · Compact | 173 | $43.94 | saves $60.71 |
| 8 | Arctic King AC35ESKCR1RCM · Compact | 174 | $44.20 | saves $60.45 |
| 9 | Arctic King ARC04B2C** · Compact | 174 | $44.20 | saves $60.45 |
| 10 | Master Chef 043-0292-2 · Compact | 174 | $44.20 | saves $60.45 |
| 11 | Midea MRC04M3C** · Compact | 174 | $44.20 | saves $60.45 |
| 12 | OMNImax 3730-922 · Compact | 174 | $44.20 | saves $60.45 |
| 13 | EPIC ECF50W-1 · Compact | 184 | $46.74 | saves $57.91 |
| 14 | Marathon MCF50W-1 · Compact | 184 | $46.74 | saves $57.91 |
| 15 | Cool-living CL-5UFR · Compact | 195 | $49.53 | saves $55.12 |
| 16 | Danby DCF050A5WDB · Compact | 195 | $49.53 | saves $55.12 |
| 17 | Marathon MCF51W-1 · Compact | 195 | $49.53 | saves $55.12 |
| 18 | Arctic King AC05ESWCR1RCM · Compact | 196 | $49.78 | saves $54.86 |
| 19 | Arctic King ARC05B2C** · Compact | 196 | $49.78 | saves $54.86 |
| 20 | Frigidaire FFCS0562AW · Compact | 196 | $49.78 | saves $54.86 |
SOURCE·ENERGY STAR certified product data·652 certified freezers on the register, listed by certified consumption·REVIEWED JUL 2026
What the certification spread is worth on this tariff
| Certified models in this category | 652 |
|---|---|
| Lowest certified energy use | 137 kWh/yr — $34.80/yr |
| Median certified energy use | 412 kWh/yr — $104.65/yr |
| Highest certified energy use | 649 kWh/yr — $164.85/yr |
| Difference, best to worst | $130.05 a year |
| …over a 10-year life | $1300.48 |
SOURCE·ENERGY STAR certified product data·priced at District of Columbia's residential average, 25.40¢ per kWh·REVIEWED JUL 2026
The same freezer on 51 tariffs
| State | Price per kWh | Cost per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.00¢ | $214.24 | $17.85 |
| California | 33.25¢ | $136.99 | $11.42 |
| New York | 29.93¢ | $123.31 | $10.28 |
| Rhode Island | 29.46¢ | $121.38 | $10.11 |
| Massachusetts | 28.82¢ | $118.74 | $9.89 |
| Maine | 28.63¢ | $117.96 | $9.83 |
| Alaska | 28.23¢ | $116.31 | $9.69 |
| Connecticut | 27.37¢ | $112.76 | $9.40 |
| New Hampshire | 27.33¢ | $112.60 | $9.38 |
| District of Columbia | 25.40¢ | $104.65 | $8.72 |
| Vermont | 24.89¢ | $102.55 | $8.55 |
| Illinois | 23.85¢ | $98.26 | $8.19 |
| New Jersey | 23.27¢ | $95.87 | $7.99 |
| Michigan | 22.01¢ | $90.68 | $7.56 |
| Maryland | 21.77¢ | $89.69 | $7.47 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.55¢ | $88.79 | $7.40 |
| Wisconsin | 19.74¢ | $81.33 | $6.78 |
| Ohio | 19.52¢ | $80.42 | $6.70 |
| Delaware | 19.38¢ | $79.85 | $6.65 |
| Indiana | 18.15¢ | $74.78 | $6.23 |
| Virginia | 17.61¢ | $72.55 | $6.05 |
| Minnesota | 16.95¢ | $69.83 | $5.82 |
| West Virginia | 16.80¢ | $69.22 | $5.77 |
| Alabama | 16.77¢ | $69.09 | $5.76 |
| Texas | 16.44¢ | $67.73 | $5.64 |
| Oregon | 16.27¢ | $67.03 | $5.59 |
| South Carolina | 16.18¢ | $66.66 | $5.56 |
| Colorado | 16.16¢ | $66.58 | $5.55 |
| Mississippi | 16.16¢ | $66.58 | $5.55 |
| Georgia | 15.84¢ | $65.26 | $5.44 |
| South Dakota | 15.73¢ | $64.81 | $5.40 |
| Arizona | 15.23¢ | $62.75 | $5.23 |
| Florida | 15.17¢ | $62.50 | $5.21 |
| Kansas | 15.13¢ | $62.34 | $5.19 |
| North Carolina | 15.09¢ | $62.17 | $5.18 |
| Kentucky | 14.98¢ | $61.72 | $5.14 |
| Washington | 14.95¢ | $61.59 | $5.13 |
| Wyoming | 14.80¢ | $60.98 | $5.08 |
| Montana | 14.67¢ | $60.44 | $5.04 |
| Tennessee | 14.47¢ | $59.62 | $4.97 |
| Arkansas | 14.36¢ | $59.16 | $4.93 |
| Louisiana | 14.15¢ | $58.30 | $4.86 |
| Iowa | 14.14¢ | $58.26 | $4.85 |
| New Mexico | 14.12¢ | $58.17 | $4.85 |
| Missouri | 13.68¢ | $56.36 | $4.70 |
| North Dakota | 13.61¢ | $56.07 | $4.67 |
| Nevada | 13.60¢ | $56.03 | $4.67 |
| Nebraska | 13.59¢ | $55.99 | $4.67 |
| Oklahoma | 13.38¢ | $55.13 | $4.59 |
| Utah | 12.96¢ | $53.40 | $4.45 |
| Idaho | 12.35¢ | $50.88 | $4.24 |
One certified freezer at the median consumption of 412 kWh a year, wired to 51 different tariffs. Same appliance, same duty cycle, same certification — only the tariff changes.
SOURCE·US EIA Electric Power Monthly, table 5.6.A·retrieved 2026-07-28·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Schedule notes
How much does it cost to run a freezer in District of Columbia?
About $104.65 a year — $8.72 a month — for a typical ENERGY STAR certified freezer using 412 kWh annually, at District of Columbia's average residential rate of 25.40¢ per kWh.
How much electricity does a freezer use?
Certified models range from 137 to 649 kWh a year, with a median of 412 kWh. That spread means the model you choose changes the running cost by $130.05 a year in District of Columbia.
Is that more or less than the rest of the country?
District of Columbia has the 10th highest residential electricity price of the 51 states and DC, at 25.40¢ against a national average of 19.41¢. The same freezer costs $79.97 a year at the national average — $24.68 less than you pay.
Will my bill actually go up by this much?
Only roughly. This is the certified test figure at your state's average price. Your own tariff, how heavily you use the appliance, and its age all move the real number. Older non-certified appliances often use considerably more.
Other circuits on the District of Columbia tariff
Same tariff, same method, one certified median each.
Consumption: US EPA ENERGY STAR certified product data. Tariff: US EIA Electric Power Monthly, retrieved 2026-07-28. Estimates for comparison only. Your actual bill depends on your tariff, how often you run the appliance, and local conditions.
