Model
Samsung RF27T5501**
Rank #979 means 978 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 56th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 56% of those models.
What does the Samsung RF27T5501** cost to run per year?
Few refrigerator models we track cost as much to run as the Samsung RF27T5501**; at about $138 a year it holds rank #979 of 1,000. It uses 5% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $145/yr to run, a saving of roughly $7 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of 56% of refrigerator models we track, right in the class's middle band. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 26.5 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 Zline RSM-W-36 at $138/yr runs a little cheaper and the Kitchenaid KBSD612ESS** at $140/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 Samsung RF27T5501**'s $138/yr adds up to roughly $1656 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Samsung RF27T5501** 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 $138/yr, here is what the Samsung RF27T5501** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Samsung RF27T5501** costs about $1380. That is roughly $70 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1450 over the same ten years.
How the Samsung RF27T5501** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $138/yr, it runs about $74 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $130 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $145/yr, the Samsung RF27T5501** uses 5% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 26.5 cu ft, the Samsung RF27T5501** is a large refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, among refrigerator models, bigger capacity is the most common reason a running-cost figure lands on the high side, 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 Samsung RF27T5501** cheap to run?
Its $138/yr running cost, rank #979 of 1,000, is above what most refrigerator models we track cost to run, so this is not one of the cheaper picks on electricity alone.
How much does the Samsung RF27T5501** cost per month?
About $11.54 a month, which is the $138 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: 746 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $138 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Samsung RF27T5501** for its size?
56th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 978 | Zline RSM-W-3628.9 cu ft | $138 |
| 977 | Midea MRF29D9***28.9 cu ft | $138 |
| 976 | Kenmore 405.7562542128.9 cu ft | $138 |
| 975 | Whirlpool WRMF3736SW28.9 cu ft | $136 |
| 974 | Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ28.9 cu ft | $136 |
Source
ES_1023593_RF27T5501**_03172020031713_80036493View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Samsung and RF27T5501** 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.