Model
Liebherr HWgb 1803
Rank #5 means 4 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 22nd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 22% of those models.
What does the Liebherr HWgb 1803 cost to run per year?
Rank #5 of 1,000 puts the Liebherr HWgb 1803 at the very top of the cheapest-to-run leaderboard for its class, at roughly $19 a year. It uses 38% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $31/yr to run, a saving of roughly $12 a year. Size-adjusted, this model trails most of its class on efficiency, ahead of just 22% of refrigerator models we track. It is a counter-depth model, built shallower to sit flush with kitchen cabinets, a design choice that typically trades away some interior volume (and so some running-cost headroom) for the built-in look.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Liebherr UW3720 at $19/yr runs a little cheaper and the Liebherr W5250 at $21/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 Liebherr HWgb 1803's $19/yr adds up to roughly $228 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs. At rank #5 of 1,000, it is one of the single cheapest refrigerator models we track to run, in the top one percent on cost.
By the numbers
The Liebherr HWgb 1803 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 $19/yr, here is what the Liebherr HWgb 1803 adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Liebherr HWgb 1803 costs about $190. That is roughly $120 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $310 over the same ten years.
How the Liebherr HWgb 1803 compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $19/yr, it runs about $45 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $11 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $31/yr, the Liebherr HWgb 1803 uses 38% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 1.6 cu ft, the Liebherr HWgb 1803 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Liebherr HWgb 1803 cheap to run?
Yes. Its $19/yr running cost puts it at rank #5 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Liebherr HWgb 1803 cost per month?
About $1.62 a month, which is the $19 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: 105 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $19 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Liebherr HWgb 1803 for its size?
22nd 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Liebherr UW37203.6 cu ft | $19 |
| 3 | Perlick URD24W*1-5-****3.1 cu ft | $18 |
| 2 | Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet UKS15W*1-5-****2.8 cu ft | $18 |
| 1 | Fisher & Paykel RS2435V2*4.3 cu ft | $8 |
Source
ES_1017655_HWgb 1803_121920252119390_4428187View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Liebherr and HWgb 1803 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.