Model
Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L
Rank #288 means 287 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 66th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 66% of those models.
What does the Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L cost to run per year?
The Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L costs about $49 a year to run, which beats most of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track; it ranks #288. It uses 21% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $61/yr to run, a saving of roughly $12 a year. Efficiency-wise, once size is accounted for, it edges out 66% of the class, a modestly above-average showing. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 10 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 Absocold ARD369A*14R/L at $49/yr runs a little cheaper and the Sapphire SR24-SSADA at $49/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 Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L's $49/yr adds up to roughly $588 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L 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 $49/yr, here is what the Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L costs about $490. That is roughly $120 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $610 over the same ten years.
How the Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $49/yr, it runs about $15 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $41 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $61/yr, the Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L uses 21% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 10 cu ft, the Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L 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, right in the middle of the capacity range, so capacity is roughly a wash compared with the rest of the class.
- 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 Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L cheap to run?
Yes. Its $49/yr running cost puts it at rank #288 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L cost per month?
About $4.07 a month, which is the $49 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: 263 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $49 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Absocold ARD1033FW21R/L for its size?
66th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 287 | Absocold ARD369A*14R/L3.6 cu ft | $49 |
| 286 | Frigidaire FFUE1326AV13 cu ft | $48 |
| 285 | Vissani MDAR33BK53.3 cu ft | $48 |
| 284 | U-Line 3018RGLB3.4 cu ft | $48 |
| 283 | Sks SKSCR2401*13.9 cu ft | $48 |
Source
ES_0092255_ARD1033FW21R/L_1014202210127_80144506View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Absocold and ARD1033FW21R/L 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.