Model
Magic Chef HMBR440WEF
Rank #188 means 187 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 30th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 30% of those models.
What does the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF's $42/yr puts it at rank #188 of 1,000, one of the more affordable refrigerator models we track to keep running. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $47/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Normalized for capacity, it beats only 30% of refrigerator models we track, a below-average efficiency result. At 4.4 cu ft, it is a small refrigerator for the class, which runs 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft; size and efficiency are the two levers behind the figure above, and this dataset does not carry a separate efficiency-factor column for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Magic Chef HMBR440BE at $42/yr runs a little cheaper and the Magic Chef MCR44BEF at $42/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 Magic Chef HMBR440WEF's $42/yr adds up to roughly $504 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Criterion CCR44CE1*.
By the numbers
The Magic Chef HMBR440WEF 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 $42/yr, here is what the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF costs about $420. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $470 over the same ten years.
How the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $42/yr, it runs about $22 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $34 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $47/yr, the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 4.4 cu ft, the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency even enters the picture.
- Interior volume. Cubic feet of interior volume is the first thing that scales a fridge's running cost up or down, before compressor quality even enters the picture.
- Counter depth vs standard depth. Counter-depth models sit flush with cabinets but usually hold less interior volume than a standard-depth model of the same width, which can nudge the per-cubic-foot running cost either way.
- Compressor technology. Newer variable-speed (inverter) compressors modulate output instead of cycling fully on and off, which tends to use less energy for the same cooling job than an older fixed-speed compressor.
- Placement and ventilation. A fridge pushed tight against a wall or cabinet, or standing next to an oven or in direct sun, works harder to shed the heat its compressor produces, which can push real-world cost above the published figure.
Common questions
Is the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $42 a year it ranks #188 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF cost per month?
Roughly $3.53/mo, spreading the $42/yr estimate evenly across twelve months at $0.1856/kWh. Actual monthly bills swing with your rate and usage pattern.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
We take the model's published annual energy use of 228 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $42 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Magic Chef HMBR440WEF for its size?
30th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 194 | Magic Chef HMBR440BE4.4 cu ft | $42 |
| 193 | Iseasy USF-S4.4CF-WH4.4 cu ft | $42 |
| 192 | Insignia NS-CF44GD3-C4.4 cu ft | $42 |
| 191 | Insignia NS-CF44BK#***4.4 cu ft | $42 |
| 190 | Galanz GL43S34.3 cu ft | $42 |
Source
ES_1107227_HMBR440WEF_03012018110822_70170417View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Magic Chef and HMBR440WEF 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.