Model
Samsung RF28R7201**
Rank #983 means 982 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 61st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 61% of those models.
What does the Samsung RF28R7201** cost to run per year?
The Samsung RF28R7201** costs about $140 a year to run, near the very top of the cost table for its class at rank #983 of 1,000. It uses 5% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $147/yr to run, a saving of roughly $7 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of 61% of refrigerator models we track, a reasonably strong result for the class. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 28 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 Lg LF31WSH63* at $140/yr runs a little cheaper and the Cafe CVE28DM*NC** 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 RF28R7201**'s $140/yr adds up to roughly $1680 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Samsung RF28R7201** 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 $140/yr, here is what the Samsung RF28R7201** 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 RF28R7201** costs about $1400. That is roughly $70 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1470 over the same ten years.
How the Samsung RF28R7201** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $140/yr, it runs about $76 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $132 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $147/yr, the Samsung RF28R7201** uses 5% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 28 cu ft, the Samsung RF28R7201** is a large refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, size is usually the single biggest lever behind a running-cost figure, and at this end of the range there is more capacity to service, which tends to push the number up.
- 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 RF28R7201** cheap to run?
Its $140/yr running cost, rank #983 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 RF28R7201** cost per month?
About $11.68 a month, which is the $140 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: 755 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $140 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Samsung RF28R7201** for its size?
61st 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 982 | Lg LF31WSH63*30.7 cu ft | $140 |
| 981 | Kitchenaid KBSD702M****25.1 cu ft | $140 |
| 980 | Kitchenaid KBSD612ESS**25 cu ft | $140 |
| 979 | Samsung RF27T5501**26.5 cu ft | $138 |
| 978 | Zline RSM-W-3628.9 cu ft | $138 |
Source
ES_1023593_RF28R7201**_03072019125214_70210404View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Samsung and RF28R7201** 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.