Model
Edgestar CRF321SS
Rank #311 means 310 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 10th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 10% of those models.
What does the Edgestar CRF321SS cost to run per year?
The Edgestar CRF321SS costs about $50 a year to run, which beats most of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track; it ranks #311. It uses 25% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $66/yr to run, a saving of roughly $16 a year. Size-adjusted, this model ranks near the bottom of its class on efficiency, ahead of just 10% of refrigerator models we track. 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 Black+Decker BUC1400XS at $50/yr runs a little cheaper and the Elisii DFFFD1738-28RS at $50/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 Edgestar CRF321SS's $50/yr adds up to roughly $600 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L, Mainstays MS553614756001, Midea MRM31D2BST, Midea WHD-113FB1, Newair NRF031BK00.
By the numbers
The Edgestar CRF321SS 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 $50/yr, here is what the Edgestar CRF321SS adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Edgestar CRF321SS costs about $500. That is roughly $160 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $660 over the same ten years.
How the Edgestar CRF321SS compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $50/yr, it runs about $14 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $42 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 Edgestar CRF321SS uses 25% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.1 cu ft, the Edgestar CRF321SS is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, and smaller refrigerator models generally cost less to run for the same job, all else being equal.
- 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 Edgestar CRF321SS cheap to run?
Yes. Its $50/yr running cost puts it at rank #311 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Edgestar CRF321SS cost per month?
About $4.18 a month, which is the $50 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: 270 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $50 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Edgestar CRF321SS for its size?
10th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 310 | Black+Decker BUC1400XS14 cu ft | $50 |
| 309 | West Bend WB0440ARB*4.4 cu ft | $50 |
| 308 | Vesta Labrador 20WH4.4 cu ft | $50 |
| 307 | Thermador T24UR915DS4.4 cu ft | $50 |
| 306 | Midea MERM44B0ABB4.4 cu ft | $50 |
Source
ES_1074063_CRF321SS_07142025103737_80260535View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Edgestar and CRF321SS 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.