Model
Liebherr IRB5160
Rank #346 means 345 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 63rd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 63% of those models.
What does the Liebherr IRB5160 cost to run per year?
The Liebherr IRB5160 costs about $52 a year to run, which beats most of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track; it ranks #346. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $58/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Size-adjusted, this model beats 63% of refrigerator models we track on efficiency, better than most of its class. 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 Thermador T30IR905SP at $52/yr runs a little cheaper and the Galanz GLR65MS1E02 at $52/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 IRB5160's $52/yr adds up to roughly $624 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Liebherr IRB5160 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 $52/yr, here is what the Liebherr IRB5160 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 IRB5160 costs about $520. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $580 over the same ten years.
How the Liebherr IRB5160 compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $52/yr, it runs about $12 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $44 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $58/yr, the Liebherr IRB5160 uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 10.5 cu ft, the Liebherr IRB5160 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, putting it squarely in the middle of the class on the size lever that drives most of the cost.
- 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 IRB5160 cheap to run?
Yes. Its $52/yr running cost puts it at rank #346 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Liebherr IRB5160 cost per month?
About $4.33 a month, which is the $52 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: 280 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $52 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Liebherr IRB5160 for its size?
63rd percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 345 | Thermador T30IR905SP16.8 cu ft | $52 |
| 344 | Zephyr PRR24C01AS-OD5.6 cu ft | $52 |
| 343 | Zephyr PRB24C01CBSG5.6 cu ft | $52 |
| 342 | Xo XOU24BCSFR5.7 cu ft | $52 |
| 341 | Xo XOU24BCGSL5.7 cu ft | $52 |
Source
ES_1017655_IRB5160_121920252119863_4176257View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Liebherr and IRB5160 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.