Model
Danby DBC117A1*
Rank #261 means 260 of the 1,000 refrigerator 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 Danby DBC117A1* cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Danby DBC117A1* sits in the below-average-cost group, rank #261, at roughly $48 a year. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $53/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of just 11% of refrigerator models we track, a clearly below-average result. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 3.1 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 Vissani VS32HSCPB at $48/yr runs a little cheaper and the Magic Chef HMAR33BE at $48/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 DBC117A1*'s $48/yr adds up to roughly $576 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Danby DBC117A1* 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 $48/yr, here is what the Danby DBC117A1* 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 DBC117A1* costs about $480. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $530 over the same ten years.
How the Danby DBC117A1* compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $48/yr, it runs about $16 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $40 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $53/yr, the Danby DBC117A1* uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.1 cu ft, the Danby DBC117A1* is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 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. 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 DBC117A1* cheap to run?
Yes. Its $48/yr running cost puts it at rank #261 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Danby DBC117A1* cost per month?
About $3.99 a month, which is the $48 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: 258 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $48 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Danby DBC117A1* for its size?
11th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 260 | Vissani VS32HSCPB3.2 cu ft | $48 |
| 259 | Perlick HP15R*4E-**-*****2.8 cu ft | $48 |
| 258 | Vissani MDAR27WH52.7 cu ft | $47 |
| 257 | Seasons MSAR27BK2.7 cu ft | $47 |
| 256 | Midea MERM26B0AWW2.7 cu ft | $47 |
Source
ES_0031682_DBC117A1* _10152019124455_80021306View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Danby and DBC117A1* 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.