Model
Midea MRM33S8A**
Rank #158 means 157 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 22nd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 22% of those models.
What does the Midea MRM33S8A** cost to run per year?
Rank #158 of 1,000 puts the Midea MRM33S8A** among the cheapest refrigerator models we track to keep running, at roughly $41 a year. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $45/yr to run, a saving of roughly $4 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 22 suggests its capacity is doing more work than its efficiency to keep the headline cost down. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 3.3 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 Midea MRM33B4ABB at $41/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea WHS-121L**1 at $41/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 Midea MRM33S8A**'s $41/yr adds up to roughly $492 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Arctic King ARU33B1ABB.
By the numbers
The Midea MRM33S8A** 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 $41/yr, here is what the Midea MRM33S8A** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Midea MRM33S8A** costs about $410. That is roughly $40 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $450 over the same ten years.
How the Midea MRM33S8A** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $41/yr, it runs about $23 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $33 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $45/yr, the Midea MRM33S8A** uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.3 cu ft, the Midea MRM33S8A** 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. 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 Midea MRM33S8A** cheap to run?
Yes. Its $41/yr running cost puts it at rank #158 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Midea MRM33S8A** cost per month?
About $3.4 a month, which is the $41 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: 220 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $41 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Midea MRM33S8A** for its size?
22nd 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 166 | Midea MRM33B4ABB3.3 cu ft | $41 |
| 165 | Koolatron KBC-88W3.3 cu ft | $41 |
| 164 | Kenmore 177473.4 cu ft | $41 |
| 163 | Insignia NS-CF33BK33.3 cu ft | $41 |
| 162 | Galanz GLR35**ER3.4 cu ft | $41 |
Source
ES_1030337_MRM33S8A**_032620240848764_1275899View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Midea and MRM33S8A** 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.