Model
Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ
Rank #973 means 972 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 71st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 71% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ cost to run per year?
Rank #973 of 1,000 puts the Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ among the priciest refrigerator models we track to keep running, at roughly $136 a year. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $150/yr to run, a saving of roughly $14 a year. Size-adjusted, this model beats 71% of refrigerator models we track on efficiency, better than most of its class. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 28.9 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 Kitchenaid KRMF436SPS at $136/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool WRMF3736SW at $136/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 WRMF3536SZ's $136/yr adds up to roughly $1632 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Kitchenaid KRMF436SPS.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ 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 $136/yr, here is what the Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ 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 WRMF3536SZ costs about $1360. That is roughly $140 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1500 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $136/yr, it runs about $72 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $128 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $150/yr, the Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 28.9 cu ft, the Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ is a large refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, size is usually the single biggest lever behind a running-cost figure, and at this end of the range there is more capacity to service, which tends to push the number up.
- 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 WRMF3536SZ cheap to run?
Its $136/yr running cost, rank #973 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 WRMF3536SZ cost per month?
About $11.34 a month, which is the $136 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: 733 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $136 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ for its size?
71st 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 973 | Kitchenaid KRMF436SPS28.9 cu ft | $136 |
| 972 | Samsung RF70F27SE*25.5 cu ft | $135 |
| 971 | Lg LRFS28XB*27.9 cu ft | $135 |
| 970 | Ge Profile PFE28KYN****27.8 cu ft | $135 |
| 969 | Ge GFE28GEL****27.8 cu ft | $135 |
Source
ES_22856_WRMF3536SZ_052120250207356_4857976View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WRMF3536SZ 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.