Model
Whirlpool WH31S1E
Rank #420 means 419 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 7th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 7% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WH31S1E cost to run per year?
The Whirlpool WH31S1E costs about $59 a year to run, a fairly typical figure for the class; it ranks #420 of 1,000. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $66/yr to run, a saving of roughly $7 a year. Size-adjusted, this model ranks near the bottom of its class on efficiency, ahead of just 7% of refrigerator models we track. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 3.1 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 Vissani VSR31MS1E01 at $59/yr runs a little cheaper and the Frestec FTC47RE 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 Whirlpool WH31S1E's $59/yr adds up to roughly $708 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Arctic Chef ACFR834-6COM.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WH31S1E 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 $59/yr, here is what the Whirlpool WH31S1E adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Whirlpool WH31S1E costs about $590. That is roughly $70 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $660 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WH31S1E compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $59/yr, it runs about $5 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $51 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $66/yr, the Whirlpool WH31S1E uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.1 cu ft, the Whirlpool WH31S1E 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.
- 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 Whirlpool WH31S1E cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $59/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #420 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Whirlpool WH31S1E cost per month?
About $4.95 a month, which is the $59 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: 320 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $59 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WH31S1E for its size?
7th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
Source
ES_22856_WH31S1E_08292014121549_70010880View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WH31S1E 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.