Model
Zline RSM-W-36
Rank #976 means 975 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 70th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 70% of those models.
What does the Zline RSM-W-36 cost to run per year?
The Zline RSM-W-36 costs about $138 a year to run, near the very top of the cost table for its class at rank #976 of 1,000. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $151/yr to run, a saving of roughly $13 a year. Size-adjusted, this model beats 70% 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 Midea MRF29D9*** at $138/yr runs a little cheaper and the Samsung RF27T5501** at $138/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 Zline RSM-W-36's $138/yr adds up to roughly $1656 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Kenmore 405.75625421.
By the numbers
The Zline RSM-W-36 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 $138/yr, here is what the Zline RSM-W-36 adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Zline RSM-W-36 costs about $1380. That is roughly $130 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1510 over the same ten years.
How the Zline RSM-W-36 compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $138/yr, it runs about $74 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $130 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $151/yr, the Zline RSM-W-36 uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 28.9 cu ft, the Zline RSM-W-36 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 Zline RSM-W-36 cheap to run?
Its $138/yr running cost, rank #976 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 Zline RSM-W-36 cost per month?
About $11.49 a month, which is the $138 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: 743 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $138 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Zline RSM-W-36 for its size?
70th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 977 | Midea MRF29D9***28.9 cu ft | $138 |
| 976 | Kenmore 405.7562542128.9 cu ft | $138 |
| 975 | Whirlpool WRMF3736SW28.9 cu ft | $136 |
| 974 | Whirlpool WRMF3536SZ28.9 cu ft | $136 |
| 973 | Kitchenaid KRMF436SPS28.9 cu ft | $136 |
Source
ES_1141731_RSM-W-36_110320231434855_8749768View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Zline and RSM-W-36 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.