Model
Criterion CUF36C1W
Rank #99 means 98 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 CUF36C1W cost to run per year?
The Criterion CUF36C1W costs about $47 a year to run and sits near the top of the cheapest-to-run leaderboard, rank #99 of 622. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $52/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Its 11th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is well below the class median, worth weighing against the raw cost figure above. At 3.6 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 Kenmore KMR11MS2EA16C at $46/yr runs a little cheaper and the Finlux 2451 DUF1650WH at $48/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 CUF36C1W's $47/yr adds up to roughly $658 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Criterion CUF36C1W 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 $47/yr, here is what the Criterion CUF36C1W 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 CUF36C1W costs about $470. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $520 over the same ten years.
How the Criterion CUF36C1W compares
The freezer class we track runs from $25 to $120 a year. At $47/yr, it runs about $28 a year cheaper than the class median of $75, and it is about $22 a year more than the cheapest freezer to run at $25. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $52/yr, the Criterion CUF36C1W uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.6 cu ft, the Criterion CUF36C1W is a small freezer for its class, which spans 1.1 to 23 cu ft with a median of 13.8 cu ft, and smaller freezer models generally cost less to run for the same job, all else being equal.
- 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 CUF36C1W cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $47 a year it ranks #99 of 622 freezer models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Criterion CUF36C1W cost per month?
Roughly $3.9/mo, spreading the $47/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 252 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $47 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Criterion CUF36C1W 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
Source
ES_1143390_CUF36C1W_04032023185900_1230806View certified freezer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Criterion and CUF36C1W 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.