Model
Criterion 453-6054
Rank #93 means 92 of the 622 freezer models we track cost less to run each year; the 11th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 11% of those models.
What does the Criterion 453-6054 cost to run per year?
Few freezer models we track cost less to run than the Criterion 453-6054: about $46 a year, rank #93 of 622. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $51/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Adjusted for size, it is only more efficient than 11% of freezer models we track, so its headline cost is mostly a function of its capacity rather than efficiency. At 3.2 cu ft, it is a small freezer for the class, which runs 1.1 to 23 cu ft; size and efficiency are the two levers behind the figure above, and this dataset does not carry a separate efficiency-factor column for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Vitara VLUF0310EW at $45/yr runs a little cheaper and the Criterion CUF32P1W at $46/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A freezer typically stays in service for somewhere around 14 years; over that span, the Criterion 453-6054's $46/yr adds up to roughly $644 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Criterion CUF32P1W.
By the numbers
The Criterion 453-6054 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 $46/yr, here is what the Criterion 453-6054 adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Criterion 453-6054 costs about $460. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $510 over the same ten years.
How the Criterion 453-6054 compares
The freezer class we track runs from $25 to $120 a year. At $46/yr, it runs about $29 a year cheaper than the class median of $75, and it is about $21 a year more than the cheapest freezer to run at $25. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $51/yr, the Criterion 453-6054 uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Criterion 453-6054 is a small freezer for its class, which spans 1.1 to 23 cu ft with a median of 13.8 cu ft, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is.
- Interior volume. Cubic feet of frozen storage is the first lever behind a freezer's running cost, ahead of insulation or defrost type.
- Insulation and defrost type. Two freezers of the same size can differ meaningfully on running cost based on insulation quality and whether they run an automatic-defrost heater.
- Chest vs upright design. Chest freezers open from the top, so cold air, which sinks, stays inside when the lid opens; upright freezers lose more cold air per door opening for a similar capacity.
Common questions
Is the Criterion 453-6054 cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $46 a year it ranks #93 of 622 freezer models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Criterion 453-6054 cost per month?
Roughly $3.8/mo, spreading the $46/yr estimate evenly across twelve months at $0.1856/kWh. Actual monthly bills swing with your rate and usage pattern.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
We take the model's published annual energy use of 246 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $46 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Criterion 453-6054 for its size?
11th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is not the main reason for the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 92 | Vitara VLUF0310EW3.1 cu ft | $45 |
| 91 | Vitara VLUF0310ES3.1 cu ft | $45 |
| 90 | Vitara VLUF0310EB3.1 cu ft | $45 |
| 89 | Magic Chef MCUF3WE3 cu ft | $45 |
| 88 | Magic Chef MCUF3STE3 cu ft | $45 |
Source
ES_1062598_453-6054_051820260803606_3587767View certified freezer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Criterion and 453-6054 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.