Model
Criterion 18TMF-B
Rank #559 means 558 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 90th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 90% of those models.
What does the Criterion 18TMF-B cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Criterion 18TMF-B's $67/yr running cost ranks it #559, close to dead center. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $75/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Few refrigerator models we track beat it on size-adjusted efficiency; it edges out 90% of the class once capacity is normalized. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 18 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 Vissani MDTF18WHRES4 at $67/yr runs a little cheaper and the Criterion 453-8145 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 Criterion 18TMF-B's $67/yr adds up to roughly $804 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Criterion 453-8145, Elisii DERTM180SW2, Elisii DERTM181WW4, Hisense HRT180N6A*E, Summit FF18W, Summit LRF182SSIM.
By the numbers
The Criterion 18TMF-B 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 Criterion 18TMF-B adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Criterion 18TMF-B costs about $670. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $750 over the same ten years.
How the Criterion 18TMF-B 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 $75/yr, the Criterion 18TMF-B uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 18 cu ft, the Criterion 18TMF-B 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, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone.
- 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 Criterion 18TMF-B cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $67/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #559 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Criterion 18TMF-B cost per month?
About $5.61 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: 363 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 Criterion 18TMF-B for its size?
90th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 558 | Vissani MDTF18WHRES418 cu ft | $67 |
| 557 | Sub-Zero DEC3650R**/*21.7 cu ft | $67 |
| 556 | Sankey RF 1963 SS18 cu ft | $67 |
| 555 | Moffat MTE18HTKBB*18.1 cu ft | $67 |
| 554 | Moffat MTE18G*****18 cu ft | $67 |
Source
ES_1062598_18TMF-B_032020240141738_4286645View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Criterion and 18TMF-B 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.