Model
Marathon MCF71W-1
Rank #50 means 49 of the 622 freezer models we track cost less to run each year; the 45th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 45% of those models.
What does the Marathon MCF71W-1 cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Marathon MCF71W-1's $42/yr puts it at rank #50 of 622, one of the more affordable freezer models we track to keep running. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $47/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Adjusted for size, it is more efficient than 45% of freezer models we track, a middling result. At 7 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 Marathon MCF701GRD at $42/yr runs a little cheaper and the Arctic King AC7ETWCR1RCM at $42/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 Marathon MCF71W-1's $42/yr adds up to roughly $588 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Cool-Living CL-7UFR.
By the numbers
The Marathon MCF71W-1 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 $42/yr, here is what the Marathon MCF71W-1 adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Marathon MCF71W-1 costs about $420. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $470 over the same ten years.
How the Marathon MCF71W-1 compares
The freezer class we track runs from $25 to $120 a year. At $42/yr, it runs about $33 a year cheaper than the class median of $75, and it is about $17 a year more than the cheapest freezer to run at $25. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $47/yr, the Marathon MCF71W-1 uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 7 cu ft, the Marathon MCF71W-1 is a small freezer for its class, which spans 1.1 to 23 cu ft with a median of 13.8 cu ft, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency even enters the picture.
- 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 Marathon MCF71W-1 cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $42 a year it ranks #50 of 622 freezer models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Marathon MCF71W-1 cost per month?
Roughly $3.46/mo, spreading the $42/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 224 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $42 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Marathon MCF71W-1 for its size?
45th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Marathon MCF701GRD7 cu ft | $42 |
| 51 | Epic ECF71W7 cu ft | $42 |
| 50 | Cool-Living CL-7UFR7 cu ft | $42 |
| 49 | Ge FCM11PH****10.6 cu ft | $40 |
| 48 | Bangson US-BSR-019A1.1 cu ft | $40 |
Source
ES_1137295_MCF71W-1_12232019124706_80022912View certified freezer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Marathon and MCF71W-1 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.