Model
Ge GIE18GCN****
Rank #678 means 677 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 71st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 71% of those models.
What does the Ge GIE18GCN**** cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Ge GIE18GCN****'s $82/yr running cost ranks it #678, in the above-average-cost group. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $90/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Size-adjusted, this model beats 71% of refrigerator models we track on efficiency, better than most of its class. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 17.5 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 Unique UNQ-455L V AC at $82/yr runs a little cheaper and the Bevoi BVIREF18W at $83/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 Ge GIE18GCN****'s $82/yr adds up to roughly $984 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Ge GIE18GCN**** 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 $82/yr, here is what the Ge GIE18GCN**** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Ge GIE18GCN**** costs about $820. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $900 over the same ten years.
How the Ge GIE18GCN**** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $82/yr, it runs about $18 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $74 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $90/yr, the Ge GIE18GCN**** uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 17.5 cu ft, the Ge GIE18GCN**** is a mid-size refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, right in the middle of the capacity range, so capacity is roughly a wash compared with the rest of the class.
- 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 Ge GIE18GCN**** cheap to run?
Its $82/yr running cost, rank #678 of 1,000, is above what most refrigerator models we track cost to run, so this is not one of the cheaper picks on electricity alone.
How much does the Ge GIE18GCN**** cost per month?
About $6.85 a month, which is the $82 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: 443 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $82 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Ge GIE18GCN**** for its size?
71st percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 677 | Unique UNQ-455L V AC16.7 cu ft | $82 |
| 676 | Unique UNQ-455L LG AC16.7 cu ft | $82 |
| 675 | Thermador T24UC905DP4.3 cu ft | $82 |
| 674 | Kitchenaid KUCT524SSB**4.3 cu ft | $82 |
| 673 | Lg LT18S1200*17.5 cu ft | $82 |
Source
ES_1123206_GIE18GCN****_08142019022007_80013708View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Ge and GIE18GCN**** 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.