Model
Upstreman BD321
Rank #406 means 405 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 8th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 8% of those models.
What does the Upstreman BD321 cost to run per year?
The Upstreman BD321 costs about $58 a year to run, a middle-of-the-pack figure at rank #406 of 1,000. It uses 13% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $67/yr to run, a saving of roughly $9 a year. Its 8th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is well below the class median, worth weighing against the raw cost figure above. Counter-depth construction, which this model has, generally means a shallower cabinet and less interior volume than a standard-depth model the same width, a tradeoff worth knowing if you are comparing it on cubic feet.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Rca RFR834-C at $58/yr runs a little cheaper and the Miele K 2911 SF at $58/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 Upstreman BD321's $58/yr adds up to roughly $696 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Rca RFR834-C.
By the numbers
The Upstreman BD321 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 $58/yr, here is what the Upstreman BD321 adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Upstreman BD321 costs about $580. That is roughly $90 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $670 over the same ten years.
How the Upstreman BD321 compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $58/yr, it runs about $6 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $50 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $67/yr, the Upstreman BD321 uses 13% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Upstreman BD321 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 Upstreman BD321 cheap to run?
It is about average. At $58 a year it ranks #406 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Upstreman BD321 cost per month?
Roughly $4.83/mo, spreading the $58/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 312 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $58 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Upstreman BD321 for its size?
8th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 406 | Rca RFR834-C3.2 cu ft | $58 |
| 405 | Miele K 2902 Vi20.6 cu ft | $58 |
| 404 | Galanz GLR12TS5F12 cu ft | $58 |
| 403 | Galanz GLR12TBKEFR12 cu ft | $58 |
| 402 | Black+Decker BDA12GLAS12 cu ft | $58 |
Source
ES_1144488_BD321_01262022150401_8584172View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Upstreman and BD321 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.