Model
Liebherr SCB5790IM
Rank #586 means 585 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 52nd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 52% of those models.
What does the Liebherr SCB5790IM cost to run per year?
The Liebherr SCB5790IM costs about $69 a year to run, a fairly typical figure for the class; it ranks #586 of 1,000. It uses 37% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $100/yr to run, a saving of roughly $31 a year. Size-adjusted, this model sits close to the class median on efficiency, ahead of 52% of refrigerator models we track. Its listing marks it counter-depth, meaning it sits nearly flush with surrounding cabinets rather than protruding a few extra inches like a standard-depth model; that shallower body usually means less interior volume for the same footprint.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Amana ART348FFF*** at $69/yr runs a little cheaper and the Summit LBF249 at $69/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 SCB5790IM's $69/yr adds up to roughly $828 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Liebherr SCB5790IM 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 Liebherr SCB5790IM 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 SCB5790IM costs about $690. That is roughly $310 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1000 over the same ten years.
How the Liebherr SCB5790IM 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 $100/yr, the Liebherr SCB5790IM uses 37% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 12.7 cu ft, the Liebherr SCB5790IM 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, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone.
- 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 SCB5790IM cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $69/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #586 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Liebherr SCB5790IM cost per month?
About $5.72 a month, which is the $69 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: 370 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $69 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Liebherr SCB5790IM for its size?
52nd percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 585 | Amana ART348FFF***18.3 cu ft | $69 |
| 584 | Seasons MSTF18WHR518.1 cu ft | $68 |
| 583 | Midea UR-BCD512WX-SQ-IK18.1 cu ft | $68 |
| 582 | Midea MRT18D3***18.1 cu ft | $68 |
| 581 | Koolmore KM-TMR-18-SS18.1 cu ft | $68 |
Source
SCB5790IMView certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Liebherr and SCB5790IM 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.