Model
U-Line 3018RGLB
Rank #284 means 283 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 15th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 15% of those models.
What does the U-Line 3018RGLB cost to run per year?
Do the math and the U-Line 3018RGLB's $48/yr puts it at rank #284 of 1,000, on the cheaper side of the class. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $54/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Adjusted for size, it is only more efficient than 15% of refrigerator models we track, so its headline cost is mostly a function of its capacity rather than efficiency. It is a counter-depth model, built shallower to sit flush with kitchen cabinets, a design choice that typically trades away some interior volume (and so some running-cost headroom) for the built-in look.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Sks SKSCR2401* at $48/yr runs a little cheaper and the Vissani MDAR33BK5 at $48/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 3018RGLB's $48/yr adds up to roughly $576 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The U-Line 3018RGLB 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 $48/yr, here is what the U-Line 3018RGLB 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 3018RGLB costs about $480. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $540 over the same ten years.
How the U-Line 3018RGLB compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $48/yr, it runs about $16 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $40 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $54/yr, the U-Line 3018RGLB uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.4 cu ft, the U-Line 3018RGLB is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency 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.
- 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 3018RGLB cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $48 a year it ranks #284 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the U-Line 3018RGLB cost per month?
Roughly $4.02/mo, spreading the $48/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 260 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $48 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the U-Line 3018RGLB for its size?
15th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 283 | Sks SKSCR2401*13.9 cu ft | $48 |
| 282 | Seasons 1899753.3 cu ft | $48 |
| 281 | Midea MERM33S1AST3.3 cu ft | $48 |
| 280 | Made4 Supply 18148123.3 cu ft | $48 |
| 279 | Insignia NS-CF33WH63.3 cu ft | $48 |
Source
ES_92283_3018RGLB_09282016194157_1717980View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026U-Line and 3018RGLB 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.