Model
Summit LBF30173W
Rank #531 means 530 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 86th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 86% of those models.
What does the Summit LBF30173W cost to run per year?
At about $66 a year, the Summit LBF30173W lands in the middle third of refrigerator models we track on running cost, rank #531 of 1,000. It uses 28% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $92/yr to run, a saving of roughly $26 a year. Few refrigerator models we track beat it on size-adjusted efficiency; it edges out 86% of the class once capacity is normalized. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 16.1 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 Fhiaba S360FR3DU at $66/yr runs a little cheaper and the Viking Range,Llc FDREIC7360R at $66/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 Summit LBF30173W's $66/yr adds up to roughly $792 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Beko BFBF30116SS.
By the numbers
The Summit LBF30173W 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 $66/yr, here is what the Summit LBF30173W adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Summit LBF30173W costs about $660. That is roughly $260 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $920 over the same ten years.
How the Summit LBF30173W compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $66/yr, it runs about $2 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $58 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $92/yr, the Summit LBF30173W uses 28% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 16.1 cu ft, the Summit LBF30173W is a mid-size refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone.
- 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 Summit LBF30173W cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $66/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #531 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Summit LBF30173W cost per month?
About $5.49 a month, which is the $66 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: 355 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $66 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Summit LBF30173W for its size?
86th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 532 | Fhiaba S360FR3DU21.9 cu ft | $66 |
| 531 | Beko BFBF30116SS16.1 cu ft | $66 |
| 530 | Whirlpool WRB551WNBS11.3 cu ft | $66 |
| 529 | Ge GTE17DTN****16.6 cu ft | $65 |
| 528 | Galanz GLR74B**E047.5 cu ft | $65 |
Source
ES_92282_LBF30173W_061820250730675_4237957View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Summit and LBF30173W 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.