Model
Frigidaire FRAE1836AW
Rank #358 means 357 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 97th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 97% of those models.
What does the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW sits in the below-average-cost group, rank #358, at roughly $54 a year. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $61/yr to run, a saving of roughly $7 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 97 means the low running cost is not just a function of size; almost nothing in the class beats it on efficiency once capacity is accounted for. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 17.8 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 Galanz GLR10TRDEFR at $54/yr runs a little cheaper and the Beko & Blomberg K60340N at $55/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 Frigidaire FRAE1836AW's $54/yr adds up to roughly $648 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Frigidaire FRAE1836AW 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 $54/yr, here is what the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW costs about $540. That is roughly $70 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $610 over the same ten years.
How the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $54/yr, it runs about $10 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $46 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $61/yr, the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 17.8 cu ft, the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW 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. 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 Frigidaire FRAE1836AW cheap to run?
Yes. Its $54/yr running cost puts it at rank #358 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW cost per month?
About $4.53 a month, which is the $54 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: 293 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $54 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Frigidaire FRAE1836AW for its size?
97th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 357 | Galanz GLR10TRDEFR9.8 cu ft | $54 |
| 356 | Lg LT11C2000*11.1 cu ft | $54 |
| 355 | Thermador T30IR900SP16.8 cu ft | $54 |
| 354 | Gaggenau RC47270416.8 cu ft | $54 |
| 353 | Farberware FW-UFR171-I3B17 cu ft | $53 |
Source
ES_1021080_FRAE1836AW_11192025173934_2763744View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Frigidaire and FRAE1836AW 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.