Model
Whirlpool WRT312CZJ***
Rank #398 means 397 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 62nd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 62% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** cost to run per year?
The Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** costs about $58 a year to run, which beats most of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track; it ranks #398. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $64/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Size-adjusted, this model beats 62% of refrigerator models we track on efficiency, better than most of its class. 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 Vesta VRF-NEWFOUNDLAND-24SS at $58/yr runs a little cheaper and the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB 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 Whirlpool WRT312CZJ***'s $58/yr adds up to roughly $696 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** 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 Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** 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 WRT312CZJ*** costs about $580. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $640 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** 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 $64/yr, the Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 11.6 cu ft, the Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** is a mid-size refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, putting it squarely in the middle of the class on the size lever that drives most of the cost.
- 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 WRT312CZJ*** cheap to run?
Yes. Its $58/yr running cost puts it at rank #398 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** cost per month?
About $4.79 a month, which is the $58 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: 310 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $58 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** for its size?
62nd percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 397 | Vesta VRF-NEWFOUNDLAND-24SS11.6 cu ft | $58 |
| 396 | Truarctic TARTM1224SV11.6 cu ft | $58 |
| 395 | Ge GPE12FGK****11.5 cu ft | $58 |
| 394 | Danby DFF116B2******11.6 cu ft | $58 |
| 393 | Avanti FF116B0W11.6 cu ft | $58 |
Source
ES_0022856_WRT312CZJ***_12122019014055_80028414View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WRT312CZJ*** 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.