Model
Magic Chef MCAR32WE
Rank #268 means 267 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 13th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 13% of those models.
What does the Magic Chef MCAR32WE cost to run per year?
The Magic Chef MCAR32WE costs about $48 a year to run, which beats most of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track; it ranks #268. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $54/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 13 means the low running cost, where it exists, is driven almost entirely by capacity rather than efficiency. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 3.2 cu ft (the class spans 1.2 to 31.7), size is the clearest lever we can point to for this model's running cost.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Magic Chef MCAR320WE at $48/yr runs a little cheaper and the Perlick HH24R*4C-**-***** at $48/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 MCAR32WE's $48/yr adds up to roughly $576 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Crosley RRXH3210AR.
By the numbers
The Magic Chef MCAR32WE 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 $48/yr, here is what the Magic Chef MCAR32WE 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 MCAR32WE costs about $480. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $540 over the same ten years.
How the Magic Chef MCAR32WE compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $48/yr, it runs about $16 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $40 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $54/yr, the Magic Chef MCAR32WE uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Magic Chef MCAR32WE 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. More cubic feet of cold air to maintain generally means a bigger compressor and a higher running-cost figure, even among efficient models.
- 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.
- 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 Magic Chef MCAR32WE cheap to run?
Yes. Its $48/yr running cost puts it at rank #268 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Magic Chef MCAR32WE cost per month?
About $4.01 a month, which is the $48 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: 259 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $48 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Magic Chef MCAR32WE for its size?
13th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 270 | Magic Chef MCAR320WE3.2 cu ft | $48 |
| 269 | Danby Diplomat DAR032B2WM3.2 cu ft | $48 |
| 268 | Crosley RRXH3210AR3.2 cu ft | $48 |
| 267 | Brama BROFR24A01SS5.5 cu ft | $48 |
| 266 | Vissani HVAR32BE3.2 cu ft | $48 |
Source
ES_1107227_MCAR32WE_01042023034125_80153168View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Magic Chef and MCAR32WE 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.