Model
Avanti RA31B3S
Rank #420 means 419 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 7th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 7% of those models.
What does the Avanti RA31B3S cost to run per year?
At about $59 a year, the Avanti RA31B3S lands in the middle third of refrigerator models we track on running cost, rank #420 of 1,000. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $66/yr to run, a saving of roughly $7 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of just 7% of refrigerator models we track, a clearly below-average result. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 3.1 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 Arctic Chef ACFR834-6COM at $59/yr runs a little cheaper and the Cuisinart CCF-31 at $59/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 Avanti RA31B3S's $59/yr adds up to roughly $708 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Arctic Chef ACFR834-6COM.
By the numbers
The Avanti RA31B3S 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 $59/yr, here is what the Avanti RA31B3S adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Avanti RA31B3S costs about $590. That is roughly $70 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $660 over the same ten years.
How the Avanti RA31B3S compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $59/yr, it runs about $5 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $51 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $66/yr, the Avanti RA31B3S uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.1 cu ft, the Avanti RA31B3S is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency even enters the picture.
- 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 Avanti RA31B3S cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $59/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #420 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Avanti RA31B3S cost per month?
About $4.95 a month, which is the $59 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: 320 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $59 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Avanti RA31B3S for its size?
7th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 420 | Arctic Chef ACFR834-6COM3.1 cu ft | $59 |
| 419 | Microfridge 3.0RMF4RHW3 cu ft | $59 |
| 418 | Vitara VTFR1202EWE12.1 cu ft | $59 |
| 417 | Truarctic TRTM1224SV12.1 cu ft | $59 |
| 416 | Epic EFF123W12.1 cu ft | $59 |
Source
ES_0092257_RA31B3S_03012018110822_70170417View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Avanti and RA31B3S 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.