Model
Avanti RMS551SS
Rank #493 means 492 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 24th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 24% of those models.
What does the Avanti RMS551SS cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Avanti RMS551SS's $63/yr running cost ranks it #493, close to dead center. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $70/yr to run, a saving of roughly $7 a year. Size-adjusted, this model trails most of its class on efficiency, ahead of just 24% of refrigerator models we track. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 5.5 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 Kitchenaid KBBX104*** at $62/yr runs a little cheaper and the Hisense RT15A2CWE at $63/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 RMS551SS's $63/yr adds up to roughly $756 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Avanti RMS551SS 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 $63/yr, here is what the Avanti RMS551SS 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 RMS551SS costs about $630. That is roughly $70 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $700 over the same ten years.
How the Avanti RMS551SS compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $63/yr, it runs about $1 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $55 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 Avanti RMS551SS uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 5.5 cu ft, the Avanti RMS551SS 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 Avanti RMS551SS cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $63/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #493 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Avanti RMS551SS cost per month?
About $5.23 a month, which is the $63 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: 338 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $63 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Avanti RMS551SS for its size?
24th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 492 | Kitchenaid KBBX104***9.2 cu ft | $62 |
| 491 | Midea MRB49B3A**4.9 cu ft | $62 |
| 490 | West Bend WBFF146DLJ#**14.6 cu ft | $62 |
| 489 | Vissani VS146HSTMB14.6 cu ft | $62 |
| 488 | Upstreman BD147-Black14.7 cu ft | $62 |
Source
ES_0092257_RMS551SS_06192014035200_2738658View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Avanti and RMS551SS 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.