Model
Whirlpool WRFC7436T***
Rank #930 means 929 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 54th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 54% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Whirlpool WRFC7436T***'s $125/yr running cost ranks it #930, in the pricier fifth of the class. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $137/yr to run, a saving of roughly $12 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 54 lands in the middle of the pack once capacity is accounted for. 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 Dacor DRF487500** at $125/yr runs a little cheaper and the Kitchenaid KRFC736S**** at $126/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 WRFC7436T***'s $125/yr adds up to roughly $1500 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** 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 $125/yr, here is what the Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** 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 WRFC7436T*** costs about $1250. That is roughly $120 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1370 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $125/yr, it runs about $61 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $117 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $137/yr, the Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 23.4 cu ft, the Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** is a large refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, among refrigerator models, bigger capacity is the most common reason a running-cost figure lands on the high side, all else being equal.
- 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 Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** cheap to run?
Its $125/yr running cost, rank #930 of 1,000, is above what most refrigerator models we track cost to run, so this is not one of the cheaper picks on electricity alone.
How much does the Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** cost per month?
About $10.41 a month, which is the $125 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: 673 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $125 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WRFC7436T*** for its size?
54th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 929 | Dacor DRF487500**27.7 cu ft | $125 |
| 928 | Thermador T48IT100NP26.8 cu ft | $124 |
| 927 | Lg LS27H3230*26.6 cu ft | $124 |
| 926 | Frigidaire GRFC2353A*22.7 cu ft | $124 |
| 925 | Ge GSE28NYY****27.9 cu ft | $124 |
Source
ES_0022856_WRFC7436T***_05092026105310_80299444View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WRFC7436T*** 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.