Model
Upstreman BR321C
Rank #129 means 128 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 21st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 21% of those models.
What does the Upstreman BR321C cost to run per year?
The Upstreman BR321C runs for about $40 a year, landing it near the bottom of the cost table at rank #129 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $45/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Efficiency-wise, once size is accounted for, it trails most of the class, ahead of only 21% of the models we track. 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 Thomson TFR441 at $40/yr runs a little cheaper and the Upstreman BR321G at $40/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 BR321C's $40/yr adds up to roughly $480 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Bangson US-BSR-100.
By the numbers
The Upstreman BR321C 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 $40/yr, here is what the Upstreman BR321C 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 BR321C costs about $400. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $450 over the same ten years.
How the Upstreman BR321C compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $40/yr, it runs about $24 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $32 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $45/yr, the Upstreman BR321C uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Upstreman BR321C 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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 Upstreman BR321C cheap to run?
Yes. Its $40/yr running cost puts it at rank #129 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Upstreman BR321C cost per month?
About $3.37 a month, which is the $40 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: 218 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $40 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Upstreman BR321C for its size?
21st percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is not the main reason for the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 141 | Thomson TFR4414.5 cu ft | $40 |
| 140 | Kenmore KMR33MWER3.2 cu ft | $40 |
| 139 | Hamilton Beach HBR33MWEE023.2 cu ft | $40 |
| 138 | Galanz SGR33M**R103.2 cu ft | $40 |
| 137 | Galanz GLR33M**R103.2 cu ft | $40 |
Source
ES_1144488_BR321C_08082022102414_6488919View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Upstreman and BR321C 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.