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How much does it cost to run a garage refrigerator?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a garage refrigerator costs about $165 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per day
- 45.1¢
- Per month
- $13.73
- Per year
- $165
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $9.54 | $114 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $9.58 | $115 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $9.84 | $118 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $10.06 | $121 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $10.28 | $123 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $10.30 | $124 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $10.34 | $124 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $10.36 | $124 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $10.75 | $129 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $10.76 | $129 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $10.77 | $129 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $10.91 | $131 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $11.03 | $132 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $11.24 | $135 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $11.27 | $135 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $11.37 | $136 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $11.45 | $137 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $11.53 | $138 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $11.54 | $138 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $11.60 | $139 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $11.84 | $142 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $11.91 | $143 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $11.98 | $144 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $11.99 | $144 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $12.07 | $145 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $12.07 | $145 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $12.20 | $146 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $12.30 | $148 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $12.55 | $151 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $12.75 | $153 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $13.09 | $157 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $13.16 | $158 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $13.86 | $166 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $14.29 | $172 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $14.41 | $173 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $14.59 | $175 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $16.06 | $193 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $16.29 | $195 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $17.29 | $207 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $17.81 | $214 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $18.12 | $217 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $18.89 | $227 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $18.91 | $227 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $19.95 | $239 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $21.22 | $255 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $21.62 | $259 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $22.42 | $269 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $22.87 | $274 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $24.31 | $292 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $25.21 | $302 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $36.00 | $432 |
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 $13.73 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $165 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $114 a year, versus $432 in Hawaii — a spread of $318.