How Much Power does a Mini Fridge Use

You might be thinking of getting a fridge in your house but you are concerned about the hefty energy bills that come with owning one.

Probably you are here to discover how much power does a mini fridge use so that you can ditch a bigger one for it.

If that is the case, It is totally normal as everyone is always conscious of taking a decision that saves cost.

A fridge uses a lot of power since it comes with its transformer and requires more power to get it started. This could be a detriment to your energy cost if you will not be needing a full fledge fridge or maybe you stay alone and don’t have a lot of food to keep fresh.

If that is the case, you can go for a mini fridge since they consume lesser energy and keep your food fresh. The only downside is the limited amount of space such a fridge affords making it less preferable for a family setup.

That being said, I will be revealing the answer to how much power does a mini fridge use and a full fridge and different tips to reduce power consumption that is also cost-effective.

How Much Power does a Mini Fridge Use

Depending on the model of mini fridge you are using, the average min fridge uses 65 watts of power if it is running.

And since a mini fridge goes on and off, it approximately runs for 8-10 hours daily. This means the daily energy consumption of your mini fridge is 600wh. This means you are consuming 220kwh of energy per year with a min fridge.

Isn’t that much, let’s do some calculations to determine that.

The electricity of Households in the USA is charged 16 cents per kWh (kilo-Watt-Hour). However, the price might vary over time. But if it is $16, it would cost $30 to $40 per year to run a mini fridge.

Getting the Right Figure for your Mini Fridge Power Consumption

Now, if you want to figure out the exact amount of electricity your mini-fridge you need to know the electric power and the electric voltage

Do not confuse these two as they are always specified with your min fridge spec.

Here is the difference 

Electrical Power is measured in watts. It is the product of voltage and current While Electrical Energy is measured in Watt-hour and is the product of electrical power and time.

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How much power does a mini fridge use?

Mini fridges come in different models and sizes.

Based on these two factors, the power mini-fridges use ranges between 60watt and 80watts when it is running. But when it is starting up it uses 200 Watts since it uses a transformer.

Newer models of mini fridges use low power, however, old models might use higher than that to run. 

But if you are unsure of the electric power of a mini fridge, you can check the fridge specification label.

You can also search for the mini-fridge model to figure this out as most brands of Mini fridges have a good online presence

How much power does a mini fridge use a month?

the power mini-fridges use ranges between 60watt to 80watts when it is running. But when it is starting up it uses 200 Watts since it uses a transformer.

With those figures, a mini fridge uses, 60 X 30 days = 1800 watts of power per month

How many watts does a mini fridge use per day

Watts is the unit of power. And the total watts a mini fridge uses per day varies based on the model and brand of the mini-fridge. But on average, the starting watts it uses is 200 watts while it is running it uses 60 watts to 80 watts

How much energy does a mini fridge use?

Most mini fridge consumes around 600wh of energy daily. At that rate, the monthly consumption will be 600 X 30 which is 18kWh. In total, the yearly energy cost is 220Kwh.

But then, you don’t need to do this yourself since most New mini-fridges are EnergyStar rated, and come with an EnergyGuide label that estimates their yearly energy consumption.

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Do mini-fridges use a lot of electricity?

Let’s find out.

A mini fridge consumes 240 kWh of energy per year on average. This amounts to $29 per year in electricity bills.

If you were to compare it to other refrigerator types here is the difference below

With an energy consumption of 600Wh/day, it consumes less power when compared to a full-sized refrigerator. And with that, it makes it a price-effective option.

Energy-saving fridge tips you should consider

While most of the tips given here might make an insignificant difference in the amount of energy you get to save, More money doesn’t hurt no matter how little it might seem to be.

That said, let’s break down some energy-saving tips you should consider to save extra dollars on your electricity cost

Ensure the fridge door is always closed

The fridge operates just like an iron. It tries to maintain a temperature by going off once it reaches the threshold, and when it seems to be lower than the required temperature it starts working.

The fridge is one of those home gadgets that consume a lot of power. You won’t want to add to the power it consumes by leaving the fridge open as it allows warm air to change the temperature of the fridge.

If this goes on too long and too constantly, your fridge will have to exhaust more power to keep to the specified temperature. This in turn consumes more electricity

Change your old fridge with an Energy Star-certified refrigerator.

If you have an old refrigerator, try getting a Refrigerators | ENERGY STAR since they run more efficiently and use less energy when compared to older models

Ensure the fridge coils are clean

If the condenser coil is dirt due to any form f impurity. It will affect the efficiency of the condenser as it has to work harder which in turn leads to more consumption of energy making it expensive to keep.

Ensure your fridge is located in a cool area

Setting up your fridge close to the sunlight rays or beside a window, could act detriment to the operation of the fridge making it consume more power to stay cool.

Conclusion

By now you should have figured out how much power does a mini fridge use and a full fledge refrigerator have. If you are particular about consuming less energy and your needs don’t exceed what a mini fridge offers in terms of size.

Getting a mini fridge is a wise decision, However, getting 2 is not cost-effective when compared to getting a full refrigerator.