Model
Kenmore 9961*61*
Rank #82 means 81 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 5th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 5% of those models.
What does the Kenmore 9961*61* cost to run per year?
The Kenmore 9961*61* runs for about $39 a year, landing it near the bottom of the cost table at rank #82 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 $43/yr to run, a saving of roughly $4 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of just 5% of refrigerator models we track, a clearly below-average result. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 1.7 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 Igloo FR115I-B-GREEN at $39/yr runs a little cheaper and the Koolatron 059586611100 at $39/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 Kenmore 9961*61*'s $39/yr adds up to roughly $468 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Comfee CERR16B0A**.
By the numbers
The Kenmore 9961*61* 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 $39/yr, here is what the Kenmore 9961*61* adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Kenmore 9961*61* costs about $390. That is roughly $40 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $430 over the same ten years.
How the Kenmore 9961*61* compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $39/yr, it runs about $25 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $31 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $43/yr, the Kenmore 9961*61* uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 1.7 cu ft, the Kenmore 9961*61* 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 Kenmore 9961*61* cheap to run?
Yes. Its $39/yr running cost puts it at rank #82 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Kenmore 9961*61* cost per month?
About $3.22 a month, which is the $39 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: 208 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $39 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Kenmore 9961*61* for its size?
5th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 89 | Igloo FR115I-B-GREEN1.6 cu ft | $39 |
| 88 | Icebox IBCR17SUN1.7 cu ft | $39 |
| 87 | Hotpoint HME02GGM****1.7 cu ft | $39 |
| 86 | Galanz GLR17M**R091.6 cu ft | $39 |
| 85 | Frigidaire EFR285-WHITE2.6 cu ft | $39 |
Source
ES_0015649_9961*61*_07112016112937_70087667View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Kenmore and 9961*61* 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.