Model
Ellipse ERBM170W
Rank #688 means 687 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 66th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 66% of those models.
What does the Ellipse ERBM170W cost to run per year?
Ranking #688 of 1,000, the Ellipse ERBM170W sits in the pricier half of its class to run, at about $84 a year. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $94/yr to run, a saving of roughly $10 a year. Normalized for capacity, it beats 66% of refrigerator models we track, a better-than-average efficiency result. At 17.2 cu ft, it is a mid-size refrigerator for the class, which runs 1.2 to 31.7 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 Upstreman FC165-BS at $84/yr runs a little cheaper and the Frigidaire FFHI1835V* at $84/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 Ellipse ERBM170W's $84/yr adds up to roughly $1008 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Hisense RB17N3ESE, Hisense RB170P3ESEH, Truarctic TARBM1731SS.
By the numbers
The Ellipse ERBM170W 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 $84/yr, here is what the Ellipse ERBM170W adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Ellipse ERBM170W costs about $840. That is roughly $100 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $940 over the same ten years.
How the Ellipse ERBM170W compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $84/yr, it runs about $20 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $76 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $94/yr, the Ellipse ERBM170W uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 17.2 cu ft, the Ellipse ERBM170W is a mid-size refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone.
- Interior volume. Cubic feet of interior volume is the first thing that scales a fridge's running cost up or down, before compressor quality even enters the picture.
- Counter depth vs standard depth. Counter-depth models sit flush with cabinets but usually hold less interior volume than a standard-depth model of the same width, which can nudge the per-cubic-foot running cost either way.
- Compressor technology. Newer variable-speed (inverter) compressors modulate output instead of cycling fully on and off, which tends to use less energy for the same cooling job than an older fixed-speed compressor.
- Placement and ventilation. A fridge pushed tight against a wall or cabinet, or standing next to an oven or in direct sun, works harder to shed the heat its compressor produces, which can push real-world cost above the published figure.
Common questions
Is the Ellipse ERBM170W cheap to run?
Not especially. At $84 a year it ranks #688 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the pricier part of its class to run, though its size and features may still justify that for your needs.
How much does the Ellipse ERBM170W cost per month?
Roughly $7.01/mo, spreading the $84/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 453 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $84 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Ellipse ERBM170W for its size?
66th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 687 | Upstreman FC165-BS16.5 cu ft | $84 |
| 686 | Ellipse ERQE165S216.5 cu ft | $84 |
| 685 | Commercial Cool CCR1800GIMB18.2 cu ft | $84 |
| 684 | Hisense RB17N6D*E17.1 cu ft | $84 |
| 683 | Black Decker BR1810HIMW18.1 cu ft | $84 |
Source
ES_1125680_ERBM170W_031220260151553_9391762View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Ellipse and ERBM170W 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.