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How much does it cost to run a garage refrigerator?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a garage refrigerator costs about $163 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per day
- 44.8¢
- Per month
- $13.62
- Per year
- $163
Assumption: 900 kWh a year. An older second fridge in an unconditioned garage. Age and ambient heat both push this well above a modern kitchen unit.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $9.54 | $114 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $9.65 | $116 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $9.98 | $120 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $9.98 | $120 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $10.03 | $120 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $10.06 | $121 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $10.15 | $122 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $10.35 | $124 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $10.78 | $129 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $10.82 | $130 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $10.82 | $130 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $10.97 | $132 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $11.12 | $133 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $11.21 | $135 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $11.24 | $135 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $11.29 | $135 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $11.36 | $136 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $11.60 | $139 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $11.68 | $140 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $11.82 | $142 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $11.92 | $143 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $11.93 | $143 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $11.94 | $143 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $12.02 | $144 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $12.23 | $147 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $12.25 | $147 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $12.38 | $149 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $12.76 | $153 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $12.79 | $154 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $12.88 | $155 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $12.90 | $155 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $13.23 | $159 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $14.03 | $168 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $14.49 | $174 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $14.53 | $174 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $14.56 | $175 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $16.05 | $193 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $16.33 | $196 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $17.24 | $207 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $17.88 | $215 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $18.38 | $221 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $18.46 | $221 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $19.49 | $234 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $20.73 | $249 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $21.14 | $254 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $21.49 | $258 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $22.06 | $265 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $22.31 | $268 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $22.86 | $274 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $24.08 | $289 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $35.38 | $425 |
Cutting the number down
- This is the classic hidden line item: a 20-year-old beer fridge can cost more per year than every light in the house combined.
- Running it only in the months you actually need it, rather than year-round, cuts the cost proportionally.
Questions
- How many watts does a garage refrigerator use?
- Usage is better expressed as 900 kWh a year.
- How much does a garage refrigerator cost per month?
- About $13.62 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $163 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $114 a year, versus $425 in Hawaii — a spread of $310.