Model
Fisher & Paykel RB36S
Rank #22 means 21 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 Fisher & Paykel RB36S cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Fisher & Paykel RB36S's $28/yr running cost puts it at rank #22 of 1,000, among the least expensive refrigerator models we track to keep running. It uses 49% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $54/yr to run, a saving of roughly $26 a year. Efficiency-wise, once size is accounted for, it trails most of the class, ahead of only 38% of the models we track. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 3.7 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 Avallon AWC152SPRGLH at $27/yr runs a little cheaper and the Fisher & Paykel RS2474S3**# at $28/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 Fisher & Paykel RB36S's $28/yr adds up to roughly $336 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Fisher & Paykel RB36S 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 $28/yr, here is what the Fisher & Paykel RB36S adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Fisher & Paykel RB36S costs about $280. That is roughly $260 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $540 over the same ten years.
How the Fisher & Paykel RB36S compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $28/yr, it runs about $36 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $20 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 Fisher & Paykel RB36S uses 49% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.7 cu ft, the Fisher & Paykel RB36S is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is.
- 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 Fisher & Paykel RB36S cheap to run?
Yes. Its $28/yr running cost puts it at rank #22 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Fisher & Paykel RB36S cost per month?
About $2.32 a month, which is the $28 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: 150 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $28 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Fisher & Paykel RB36S for its size?
38th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is not the main reason for the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Avallon AWC152SPRGLH3.4 cu ft | $27 |
| 20 | Xo XOU15WGSL3.3 cu ft | $27 |
| 19 | Midea MRW34B4A**3.3 cu ft | $27 |
| 18 | Avallon AWC152DPRGLH3.1 cu ft | $27 |
| 17 | Fisher & Paykel RS2435SB*T*4.6 cu ft | $25 |
Source
ES_31708_RB36S_07232014182036_9636892View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Fisher & Paykel and RB36S 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.