Model
Samsung RF28T5A01**
Rank #904 means 903 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 82nd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 82% of those models.
What does the Samsung RF28T5A01** cost to run per year?
Not many refrigerator models we track cost more to run than the Samsung RF28T5A01**: about $120 a year, rank #904 of 1,000. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $131/yr to run, a saving of roughly $11 a year. Normalized for capacity, it ranks ahead of 82% of refrigerator models we track on efficiency, a genuinely strong showing. At 28.2 cu ft, it is a large refrigerator for the class, which runs 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft; size and efficiency are the two levers behind the figure above, and this dataset does not carry a separate efficiency-factor column for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Lg LRSOC2306* at $120/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool WRFF3336SB at $120/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 RF28T5A01**'s $120/yr adds up to roughly $1440 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Samsung RF28T5A01** 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 $120/yr, here is what the Samsung RF28T5A01** 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 RF28T5A01** costs about $1200. That is roughly $110 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1310 over the same ten years.
How the Samsung RF28T5A01** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $120/yr, it runs about $56 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $112 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $131/yr, the Samsung RF28T5A01** uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 28.2 cu ft, the Samsung RF28T5A01** is a large refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, and larger refrigerator models generally cost more to run than smaller ones in the same class, simply because there is more to keep cold, spin, heat, or light.
- Interior volume. Cubic feet of interior volume is the first thing that scales a fridge's running cost up or down, before compressor quality even enters the picture.
- Counter depth vs standard depth. Counter-depth models sit flush with cabinets but usually hold less interior volume than a standard-depth model of the same width, which can nudge the per-cubic-foot running cost either way.
- Compressor technology. Newer variable-speed (inverter) compressors modulate output instead of cycling fully on and off, which tends to use less energy for the same cooling job than an older fixed-speed compressor.
- Placement and ventilation. A fridge pushed tight against a wall or cabinet, or standing next to an oven or in direct sun, works harder to shed the heat its compressor produces, which can push real-world cost above the published figure.
Common questions
Is the Samsung RF28T5A01** cheap to run?
Not especially. At $120 a year it ranks #904 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the pricier part of its class to run, though its size and features may still justify that for your needs.
How much does the Samsung RF28T5A01** cost per month?
Roughly $9.98/mo, spreading the $120/yr estimate evenly across twelve months at $0.1856/kWh. Actual monthly bills swing with your rate and usage pattern.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
We take the model's published annual energy use of 645 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $120 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Samsung RF28T5A01** for its size?
82nd 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 903 | Lg LRSOC2306*22.5 cu ft | $120 |
| 902 | Samsung RF25C5551**24.5 cu ft | $119 |
| 901 | Frigidaire FGHN2868T*27.6 cu ft | $119 |
| 900 | Whirlpool WRS335FDD***24.5 cu ft | $119 |
| 899 | Ikea IRS335SDH*0*24.5 cu ft | $119 |
Source
ES_1023593_RF28T5A01**_06102020122348_5550000_View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Samsung and RF28T5A01** 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.