Model
Rca RFR321-BLACK
Rank #47 means 46 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 24th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 24% of those models.
What does the Rca RFR321-BLACK cost to run per year?
Out of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Rca RFR321-BLACK lands at rank #47 on cost, roughly $37 a year, a standout figure at the cheap end of the class. It uses 19% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $45/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Efficiency-wise, once size is accounted for, it trails most of the class, ahead of only 24% of the models we track. It is a counter-depth model, built shallower to sit flush with kitchen cabinets, a design choice that typically trades away some interior volume (and so some running-cost headroom) for the built-in look.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Rca RFR320-PURPLE at $37/yr runs a little cheaper and the Rca RFR376-B-RED at $37/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 Rca RFR321-BLACK's $37/yr adds up to roughly $444 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Frigidaire EFR331-B-BLACK.
By the numbers
The Rca RFR321-BLACK 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 $37/yr, here is what the Rca RFR321-BLACK adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Rca RFR321-BLACK costs about $370. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $450 over the same ten years.
How the Rca RFR321-BLACK compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $37/yr, it runs about $27 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $29 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 Rca RFR321-BLACK uses 19% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Rca RFR321-BLACK is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is.
- 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 Rca RFR321-BLACK cheap to run?
Yes. Its $37/yr running cost puts it at rank #47 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Rca RFR321-BLACK cost per month?
About $3.05 a month, which is the $37 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: 197 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $37 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Rca RFR321-BLACK for its size?
24th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | Rca RFR320-PURPLE3.2 cu ft | $37 |
| 52 | Rca RFR320-B-WHITE-COM3.2 cu ft | $37 |
| 51 | Rca RFR320-B-BLACK3.2 cu ft | $37 |
| 50 | Frigidaire EFR376-C-WHITE3.2 cu ft | $37 |
| 49 | Frigidaire EFR376-B-WHITE-COM3.2 cu ft | $37 |
Source
ES_1120898_RFR321-BLACK_01292021130713_3487621View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Rca and RFR321-BLACK 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.