Freezer Electricity Cost & Wattage
What a freezer costs to run: typical 160 W, about $95 a year. Adjust the figures to your own usage and electricity price.
Your Freezer running cost
Costs about
/ month
- Per day
- Per year
- Energy per year
Always on, based on a ~40% duty cycle.
Typical wattage
| Low | 80 W |
|---|---|
| Typical | 160 W |
| High | 350 W |
| Typical use | Runs continuously |
A standalone freezer, like a fridge, never switches off, so it is a steady background cost all year round. Its compressor cycles on and off to hold roughly −18 °C, which means its nameplate wattage overstates the true average draw. This page applies a realistic duty cycle so the yearly figure reflects real operation rather than the label. Chest freezers tend to be more efficient than upright ones because cold air does not spill out every time you open the lid, and a full freezer holds its temperature better than an empty one.
Location and maintenance matter more for a freezer than for almost any other appliance, because it runs continuously. A freezer in a hot garage or next to a heat source works far harder than one in a cool utility room. Frost build-up acts as insulation on the coils and forces longer compressor runs, so a manual-defrost model left to ice up can quietly cost a lot more than it should. Keeping it full, cold and frost-free is where the savings are.
Age is the other big factor. A freezer bought fifteen or twenty years ago can use two to three times the energy of a modern equivalent, and because it runs every hour of every year that gap turns into a large sum over its remaining life. If an old chest or upright freezer is humming away in the garage 'just in case', it is worth measuring what it costs to keep running against how much you actually use it.
How to cut freezer running costs
- Keep it at −18 °C; colder wastes power without keeping food any safer.
- Keep it reasonably full — frozen food holds the cold and cuts compressor runs.
- Defrost manual models before frost builds past a few millimetres.
- Site it somewhere cool, not a hot garage or next to the oven or boiler.
- Check the lid or door seal and leave airflow space around the cabinet.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a freezer cost to run per year?
A typical standalone freezer uses around 300–560 kWh a year depending on size, type and location. At $0.17/kWh that is roughly $50–95. Chest freezers usually sit at the lower end.
Is a chest freezer cheaper than an upright?
Usually. Cold air sinks, so opening a chest lid loses less cold than opening an upright door. Chest models also tend to be better insulated, lowering the yearly running cost.
Does a full freezer use less electricity?
Yes, a little. Frozen contents hold the cold when you open it, so the compressor restarts less often. An almost-empty freezer cycles more; filling gaps with water bottles helps.