Model
Magic Chef MCAR170STE
Rank #220 means 219 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 1st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 1% of those models.
What does the Magic Chef MCAR170STE cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Magic Chef MCAR170STE's $45/yr puts it at rank #220 of 1,000, on the cheaper side of the class. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $51/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Adjusted for size, it is only more efficient than 1% of refrigerator models we track, among the lowest size-adjusted results we track for the class. At 1.7 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 HMAR170BE at $45/yr runs a little cheaper and the Pepsi FR101PEP at $45/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 MCAR170STE's $45/yr adds up to roughly $540 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Magic Chef HMAR170BE.
By the numbers
The Magic Chef MCAR170STE 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 $45/yr, here is what the Magic Chef MCAR170STE 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 MCAR170STE costs about $450. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $510 over the same ten years.
How the Magic Chef MCAR170STE compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $45/yr, it runs about $19 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $37 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $51/yr, the Magic Chef MCAR170STE uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 1.7 cu ft, the Magic Chef MCAR170STE is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, and smaller refrigerator models generally cost less to run for the same job, all else being equal.
- 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 MCAR170STE cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $45 a year it ranks #220 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Magic Chef MCAR170STE cost per month?
Roughly $3.79/mo, spreading the $45/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 245 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $45 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Magic Chef MCAR170STE for its size?
1st percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 220 | Magic Chef HMAR170BE1.7 cu ft | $45 |
| 219 | Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet UKS24A*1-5-****4.9 cu ft | $45 |
| 218 | Danby DAR016A1*1.6 cu ft | $45 |
| 217 | Midea WHS-625FWEW117 cu ft | $45 |
| 216 | L2 LRU17B6***17 cu ft | $45 |
Source
ES_1107227_MCAR170STE_031420250108476_7902991View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Magic Chef and MCAR170STE 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.