Model
Criterion CUF32P1W
Rank #93 means 92 of the 622 freezer models we track cost less to run each year; the 11th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 11% of those models.
What does the Criterion CUF32P1W cost to run per year?
Among the 622 freezer models we track, the Criterion CUF32P1W's $46/yr running cost ranks it #93, comfortably in the cheap-to-run group. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $51/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of just 11% of freezer models we track, a clearly below-average result. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 3.2 cu ft (the class spans 1.1 to 23), size is the clearest lever we can point to for this model's running cost.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Criterion 453-6054 at $46/yr runs a little cheaper and the Danby Designer DUFM085A4* at $46/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A freezer typically stays in service for somewhere around 14 years; over that span, the Criterion CUF32P1W's $46/yr adds up to roughly $644 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Criterion 453-6054.
By the numbers
The Criterion CUF32P1W normalized against its whole class, so each figure means something.
What it costs you over time
Running cost is an every-year number, so it compounds. At $46/yr, here is what the Criterion CUF32P1W adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Criterion CUF32P1W costs about $460. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $510 over the same ten years.
How the Criterion CUF32P1W compares
The freezer class we track runs from $25 to $120 a year. At $46/yr, it runs about $29 a year cheaper than the class median of $75, and it is about $21 a year more than the cheapest freezer to run at $25. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $51/yr, the Criterion CUF32P1W uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Criterion CUF32P1W is a small freezer for its class, which spans 1.1 to 23 cu ft with a median of 13.8 cu ft, and smaller freezer models generally cost less to run for the same job, all else being equal.
- Interior volume. As with refrigerators, more cubic feet of frozen storage generally means a bigger compressor and a higher annual energy figure.
- Insulation and defrost type. Better-insulated cabinets lose less cold to the surrounding room, and frost-free (automatic-defrost) freezers run a periodic heating element that a manual-defrost model does not.
- Chest vs upright design. Door orientation affects how much cold air escapes per opening: top-opening chest designs generally hold cold better than front-opening upright ones.
Common questions
Is the Criterion CUF32P1W cheap to run?
Yes. Its $46/yr running cost puts it at rank #93 of 622, below what most freezer models we track cost to run.
How much does the Criterion CUF32P1W cost per month?
About $3.8 a month, which is the $46 annual estimate spread across twelve months at the US average rate of $0.1856/kWh. Your own bill scales with your local electricity rate and how heavily you use it.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
The formula is annual kWh times price per kWh: 246 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $46 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Criterion CUF32P1W for its size?
11th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is not the main reason for the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 93 | Criterion 453-60543.2 cu ft | $46 |
| 92 | Vitara VLUF0310EW3.1 cu ft | $45 |
| 91 | Vitara VLUF0310ES3.1 cu ft | $45 |
| 90 | Vitara VLUF0310EB3.1 cu ft | $45 |
| 89 | Magic Chef MCUF3WE3 cu ft | $45 |
Source
ES_1062598_CUF32P1W_051820260804952_6034722View certified freezer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Criterion and CUF32P1W are used here for identification only and are not endorsements. Figures are computed by WattWise Labs from public ENERGY STAR data, not measured in our own lab.