Model
Danby DAR022A1SLDB
Rank #83 means 82 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 8th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 8% of those models.
What does the Danby DAR022A1SLDB cost to run per year?
Rank #83 of 1,000 puts the Danby DAR022A1SLDB among the cheapest refrigerator models we track to keep running, at roughly $39 a year. It uses 25% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $52/yr to run, a saving of roughly $13 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of just 8% of refrigerator models we track, a clearly below-average result. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 2.2 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 Comfee CERR16B0A** at $39/yr runs a little cheaper and the Frigidaire EFR285-B-BLUE at $39/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 Danby DAR022A1SLDB's $39/yr adds up to roughly $468 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Danby DAR022A1SLDB 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 $39/yr, here is what the Danby DAR022A1SLDB adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Danby DAR022A1SLDB costs about $390. That is roughly $130 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $520 over the same ten years.
How the Danby DAR022A1SLDB compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $39/yr, it runs about $25 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $31 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $52/yr, the Danby DAR022A1SLDB uses 25% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 2.2 cu ft, the Danby DAR022A1SLDB is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, and smaller refrigerator models generally cost less to run for the same job, all else being equal.
- 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 Danby DAR022A1SLDB cheap to run?
Yes. Its $39/yr running cost puts it at rank #83 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Danby DAR022A1SLDB cost per month?
About $3.22 a month, which is the $39 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: 208 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $39 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Danby DAR022A1SLDB for its size?
8th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 82 | Comfee CERR16B0A**1.7 cu ft | $39 |
| 81 | Premium Levella PRF167400XB1.6 cu ft | $38 |
| 80 | Midea WHS-65LB11.6 cu ft | $38 |
| 79 | Koolatron KBC-46SS1.6 cu ft | $38 |
| 78 | Rca RFR160-RED1.6 cu ft | $38 |
Source
ES_0031682_DAR022A1SLDB_08032021104338_80088996View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Danby and DAR022A1SLDB 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.