Model
U-Line 2224RGLB
Rank #319 means 318 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 26th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 26% of those models.
What does the U-Line 2224RGLB cost to run per year?
The U-Line 2224RGLB is a relatively cheap runner for its class: about $50 a year, rank #319 of 1,000. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $56/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Its 26th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is a step behind the class median, though not among the weakest results. Its listing marks it counter-depth, meaning it sits nearly flush with surrounding cabinets rather than protruding a few extra inches like a standard-depth model; that shallower body usually means less interior volume for the same footprint.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Newair NRF031BK00 at $50/yr runs a little cheaper and the U-Line U-2224RGLINT-00B at $50/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 U-Line 2224RGLB's $50/yr adds up to roughly $600 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: U-Line U-2224RGLINT-00B.
By the numbers
The U-Line 2224RGLB 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 $50/yr, here is what the U-Line 2224RGLB adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the U-Line 2224RGLB costs about $500. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $560 over the same ten years.
How the U-Line 2224RGLB compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $50/yr, it runs about $14 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $42 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $56/yr, the U-Line 2224RGLB uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 4.7 cu ft, the U-Line 2224RGLB is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 U-Line 2224RGLB cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $50 a year it ranks #319 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the U-Line 2224RGLB cost per month?
Roughly $4.18/mo, spreading the $50/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 270 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $50 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the U-Line 2224RGLB for its size?
26th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 318 | Newair NRF031BK003.1 cu ft | $50 |
| 317 | Midea WHD-113FB13.1 cu ft | $50 |
| 316 | Midea MRM31D2BST3.1 cu ft | $50 |
| 315 | Mainstays MS5536147560013.1 cu ft | $50 |
| 314 | Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L3.1 cu ft | $50 |
Source
ES_92283_2224RGLB_09292016115319_9999877View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026U-Line and 2224RGLB 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.