Model
Abl AREF18B
Rank #539 means 538 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 88th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 88% of those models.
What does the Abl AREF18B cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Abl AREF18B's $67/yr running cost ranks it #539, close to dead center. It uses 4% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $70/yr to run, a saving of roughly $3 a year. Few refrigerator models we track beat it on size-adjusted efficiency; it edges out 88% of the class once capacity is normalized. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 17.6 cu ft (the class spans 1.2 to 31.7), size is the clearest lever we can point to for this model's running cost.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Summit FF714SS at $67/yr runs a little cheaper and the Beko BFBF2414WHIM at $67/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A refrigerator typically stays in service for somewhere around 12 years; over that span, the Abl AREF18B's $67/yr adds up to roughly $804 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Abl AREF18B 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 $67/yr, here is what the Abl AREF18B adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Abl AREF18B costs about $670. That is roughly $30 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $700 over the same ten years.
How the Abl AREF18B compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $67/yr, it runs about $3 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $59 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $70/yr, the Abl AREF18B uses 4% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 17.6 cu ft, the Abl AREF18B is a mid-size refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, putting it squarely in the middle of the class on the size lever that drives most of the cost.
- Interior volume. More cubic feet of cold air to maintain generally means a bigger compressor and a higher running-cost figure, even among efficient models.
- Counter depth vs standard depth. Standard-depth models generally offer more interior volume per unit of width than counter-depth models, a tradeoff between built-in looks and cubic feet.
- Compressor technology. How a compressor cycles, full on/off versus a variable-speed inverter design, is one of the biggest hidden differences behind two fridges with similar cubic feet but different running costs.
- Placement and ventilation. Ventilation clearance around the back and top matters more than most owners expect; a fridge starved of airflow runs its compressor longer to hold the same temperature.
Common questions
Is the Abl AREF18B cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $67/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #539 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Abl AREF18B cost per month?
About $5.57 a month, which is the $67 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: 360 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $67 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Abl AREF18B for its size?
88th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 538 | Summit FF714SS4.3 cu ft | $67 |
| 537 | Ge GTE18GSN****17.5 cu ft | $67 |
| 536 | Crosley XRE18GGA****17.5 cu ft | $67 |
| 535 | Marathon MFF182SS18.3 cu ft | $66 |
| 534 | Viking Range,Llc FDREIC7360R21.9 cu ft | $66 |
Source
ES_1148590_AREF18B_04152025120303_80247440View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Abl and AREF18B 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.