Model
Frestec FTC47RE
Rank #437 means 436 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 19th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 19% of those models.
What does the Frestec FTC47RE cost to run per year?
The Frestec FTC47RE costs about $60 a year to run, a middle-of-the-pack figure at rank #437 of 1,000. It uses 13% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $68/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 19 is among the lowest in its class. At 4.7 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 Whirlpool WH31S1E at $59/yr runs a little cheaper and the Ge GDE03GLK**** at $60/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 FTC47RE's $60/yr adds up to roughly $720 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Tcl TRM47D5AW.
By the numbers
The Frestec FTC47RE 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 $60/yr, here is what the Frestec FTC47RE 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 FTC47RE costs about $600. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $680 over the same ten years.
How the Frestec FTC47RE compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $60/yr, it runs about $4 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $52 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $68/yr, the Frestec FTC47RE uses 13% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 4.7 cu ft, the Frestec FTC47RE 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. 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 FTC47RE cheap to run?
It is about average. At $60 a year it ranks #437 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Frestec FTC47RE cost per month?
Roughly $4.96/mo, spreading the $60/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 321 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $60 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Frestec FTC47RE for its size?
19th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 436 | Whirlpool WH31S1E3.1 cu ft | $59 |
| 435 | Vissani VSR31MS1E013 cu ft | $59 |
| 434 | Viking Range,Llc FDREIC7300R16.9 cu ft | $59 |
| 433 | Upstreman BD311-White3.1 cu ft | $59 |
| 432 | Sunbeam SGR31T**E3 cu ft | $59 |
Source
ES_1146193_FTC47RE_08162024135247_7072412View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Frestec and FTC47RE 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.