Model
Tcl TRM47D5AW
Rank #437 means 436 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 19th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 19% of those models.
What does the Tcl TRM47D5AW cost to run per year?
The Tcl TRM47D5AW costs about $60 a year to run, a fairly typical figure for the class; it ranks #437 of 1,000. It uses 13% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $68/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of just 19% of refrigerator models we track, a clearly below-average result. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 4.7 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 Ge GDE03GLK**** at $60/yr runs a little cheaper and the Summit CP34W at $60/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 Tcl TRM47D5AW's $60/yr adds up to roughly $720 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Frestec FTC47RE.
By the numbers
The Tcl TRM47D5AW 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 $60/yr, here is what the Tcl TRM47D5AW adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Tcl TRM47D5AW costs about $600. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $680 over the same ten years.
How the Tcl TRM47D5AW compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $60/yr, it runs about $4 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $52 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $68/yr, the Tcl TRM47D5AW uses 13% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 4.7 cu ft, the Tcl TRM47D5AW is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, and smaller refrigerator models generally cost less to run for the same job, 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 Tcl TRM47D5AW cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $60/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #437 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Tcl TRM47D5AW cost per month?
About $4.96 a month, which is the $60 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: 321 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $60 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Tcl TRM47D5AW for its size?
19th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 438 | Ge GDE03GLK****3 cu ft | $60 |
| 437 | Frestec FTC47RE4.7 cu ft | $60 |
| 436 | Whirlpool WH31S1E3.1 cu ft | $59 |
| 435 | Vissani VSR31MS1E013 cu ft | $59 |
| 434 | Viking Range,Llc FDREIC7300R16.9 cu ft | $59 |
Source
ES_1147781_TRM47D5AW_09162025131903_8473626View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Tcl and TRM47D5AW 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.