Model
Frestec FTC31R
Rank #127 means 126 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 17th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 17% of those models.
What does the Frestec FTC31R cost to run per year?
Few refrigerator models we track cost less to run than the Frestec FTC31R: about $40 a year, rank #127 of 1,000. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $45/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Normalized for capacity, it beats only 17% of refrigerator models we track, one of the weaker efficiency results we track for the class. At 3 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 Sub-Zero DEU2450B*/ADA/* at $40/yr runs a little cheaper and the Frigidaire GRDA1911A* at $40/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 Frestec FTC31R's $40/yr adds up to roughly $480 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Frestec FTC31R 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 $40/yr, here is what the Frestec FTC31R adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Frestec FTC31R costs about $400. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $450 over the same ten years.
How the Frestec FTC31R compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $40/yr, it runs about $24 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $32 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $45/yr, the Frestec FTC31R uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3 cu ft, the Frestec FTC31R 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. 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 Frestec FTC31R cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $40 a year it ranks #127 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Frestec FTC31R cost per month?
Roughly $3.34/mo, spreading the $40/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 216 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $40 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Frestec FTC31R for its size?
17th 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
Source
ES_1146193_FTC31R_09242021140116_9272119View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Frestec and FTC31R 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.