Model
Absocold ARD204AB21R/L
Rank #236 means 235 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 4th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 4% of those models.
What does the Absocold ARD204AB21R/L cost to run per year?
At $46 a year to run, the Absocold ARD204AB21R/L runs cheaper than most models in its class, ranking #236 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $52/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Its 4th size-adjusted efficiency percentile sits at the floor of the class, a figure worth weighing carefully against the raw cost above. At 2 cu ft, it is a small refrigerator for the class, which runs 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft; size and efficiency are the two levers behind the figure above, and this dataset does not carry a separate efficiency-factor column for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Frigidaire FFUE0736AW at $46/yr runs a little cheaper and the Commercial Cool CCUC1110GB at $46/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 ARD204AB21R/L's $46/yr adds up to roughly $552 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Absocold ARD204AB21R/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 $46/yr, here is what the Absocold ARD204AB21R/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 ARD204AB21R/L costs about $460. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $520 over the same ten years.
How the Absocold ARD204AB21R/L compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $46/yr, it runs about $18 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $38 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $52/yr, the Absocold ARD204AB21R/L uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 2 cu ft, the Absocold ARD204AB21R/L is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is.
- Interior volume. Cubic feet of interior volume is the first thing that scales a fridge's running cost up or down, before compressor quality even enters the picture.
- Counter depth vs standard depth. Counter-depth models sit flush with cabinets but usually hold less interior volume than a standard-depth model of the same width, which can nudge the per-cubic-foot running cost either way.
- Compressor technology. Newer variable-speed (inverter) compressors modulate output instead of cycling fully on and off, which tends to use less energy for the same cooling job than an older fixed-speed compressor.
- Placement and ventilation. A fridge pushed tight against a wall or cabinet, or standing next to an oven or in direct sun, works harder to shed the heat its compressor produces, which can push real-world cost above the published figure.
Common questions
Is the Absocold ARD204AB21R/L cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $46 a year it ranks #236 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Absocold ARD204AB21R/L cost per month?
Roughly $3.85/mo, spreading the $46/yr estimate evenly across twelve months at $0.1856/kWh. Actual monthly bills swing with your rate and usage pattern.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
We take the model's published annual energy use of 249 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $46 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Absocold ARD204AB21R/L for its size?
4th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 235 | Frigidaire FFUE0736AW7.2 cu ft | $46 |
| 234 | Avanti AVAR16F0W1.6 cu ft | $46 |
| 233 | Vissani MDAR17SS51.7 cu ft | $46 |
| 232 | Seasons MSAR17BK1.7 cu ft | $46 |
| 231 | Midea MERM17S1A**1.7 cu ft | $46 |
Source
ES_0092255_ARD204AB21R/L_03052021010906_5550000_View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Absocold and ARD204AB21R/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.