Model
Frigidaire FRTE1936AV
Rank #590 means 589 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 91st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 91% of those models.
What does the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV cost to run per year?
At $69 a year to run, the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV sits close to the middle of its class on cost, ranking #590 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $77/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Once capacity is factored in, it outperforms 91% of the refrigerator models we track on efficiency, not just on headline running cost. At 18.7 cu ft, it is a large 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 Frigidaire FRTE1930AV at $69/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool URBC5024PZ at $70/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 Frigidaire FRTE1936AV's $69/yr adds up to roughly $828 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Frigidaire FRTE1930AV.
By the numbers
The Frigidaire FRTE1936AV 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 $69/yr, here is what the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV costs about $690. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $770 over the same ten years.
How the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $69/yr, it runs about $5 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $61 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $77/yr, the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 18.7 cu ft, the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV is a large refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, size is usually the single biggest lever behind a running-cost figure, and at this end of the range there is more capacity to service, which tends to push the number up.
- 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 Frigidaire FRTE1936AV cheap to run?
It is about average. At $69 a year it ranks #590 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV cost per month?
Roughly $5.78/mo, spreading the $69/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 374 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $69 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Frigidaire FRTE1936AV for its size?
91st percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 590 | Frigidaire FRTE1930AV18.7 cu ft | $69 |
| 589 | Fulgor Milano FM1BM22FBI8.6 cu ft | $69 |
| 588 | Bertazzoni REF24BMBPNB8.6 cu ft | $69 |
| 587 | Summit LBF24910.6 cu ft | $69 |
| 586 | Liebherr SCB5790IM12.7 cu ft | $69 |
Source
ES_1021080_FRTE1936AV_101720251628813_1437175View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Frigidaire and FRTE1936AV 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.