Model
Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM
Rank #268 means 267 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 13th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 13% of those models.
What does the Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM cost to run per year?
The Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM is a relatively cheap runner for its class: about $48 a year, rank #268 of 1,000. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $54/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 13 is among the lowest in its class. At 3.2 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 Crosley RRXH3210AR at $48/yr runs a little cheaper and the Magic Chef MCAR320WE at $48/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 Diplomat DAR032B2WM's $48/yr adds up to roughly $576 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Crosley RRXH3210AR.
By the numbers
The Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM 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 $48/yr, here is what the Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM 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 Diplomat DAR032B2WM costs about $480. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $540 over the same ten years.
How the Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $48/yr, it runs about $16 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $40 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $54/yr, the Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM 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. 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 Diplomat DAR032B2WM cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $48 a year it ranks #268 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM cost per month?
Roughly $4.01/mo, spreading the $48/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 259 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $48 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM for its size?
13th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
Source
ES_0031682_DAR032B2WM_06052023124154_80125845View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Danby Diplomat and DAR032B2WM 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.