Model
Danby DBMF100C1SLDB
Rank #595 means 594 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 38th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 38% of those models.
What does the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB cost to run per year?
At $71 a year to run, the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB sits close to the middle of its class on cost, ranking #595 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $79/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 38 is below the class median, worth weighing alongside the raw dollar figure. At 10 cu ft, it is a mid-size 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 Ge GTE19JTN**** at $70/yr runs a little cheaper and the Fisher & Paykel RB2470BRV1 at $71/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 Danby DBMF100C1SLDB's $71/yr adds up to roughly $852 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Danby DBMF100C1SLDB 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 $71/yr, here is what the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB costs about $710. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $790 over the same ten years.
How the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $71/yr, it runs about $7 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $63 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $79/yr, the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 10 cu ft, the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB 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, putting it squarely in the middle of the class on the size lever that drives most of the cost.
- 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 Danby DBMF100C1SLDB cheap to run?
It is about average. At $71 a year it ranks #595 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB cost per month?
Roughly $5.88/mo, spreading the $71/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 380 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $71 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Danby DBMF100C1SLDB for its size?
38th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 594 | Ge GTE19JTN****19.2 cu ft | $70 |
| 593 | Amana ARTX2419S***19.3 cu ft | $70 |
| 592 | Whirlpool URBC5024PZ11.2 cu ft | $70 |
| 591 | Frigidaire FRTE1936AV18.7 cu ft | $69 |
| 590 | Frigidaire FRTE1930AV18.7 cu ft | $69 |
Source
ES_31682_DBMF100C1SLDB_112920202026575_2330604View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Danby and DBMF100C1SLDB 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.