Model
Frigidaire FRTE1226AB
Rank #399 means 398 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 61st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 61% of those models.
What does the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB cost to run per year?
Ranking #399 of 1,000, the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB is in the cheaper half of its class to run, at about $58 a year. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $64/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Adjusted for size, it is more efficient than 61% of refrigerator models we track, a solidly above-average result. Its listing marks it counter-depth, meaning it sits nearly flush with surrounding cabinets rather than protruding a few extra inches like a standard-depth model; that shallower body usually means less interior volume for the same footprint.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Whirlpool WRT312CZJ*** at $58/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea HD-423FW at $58/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 FRTE1226AB's $58/yr adds up to roughly $696 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Midea HD-423FW, Omnimax 3760-913.
By the numbers
The Frigidaire FRTE1226AB 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 $58/yr, here is what the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB 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 FRTE1226AB costs about $580. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $640 over the same ten years.
How the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $58/yr, it runs about $6 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $50 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $64/yr, the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 11.5 cu ft, the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Frigidaire FRTE1226AB cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $58 a year it ranks #399 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB cost per month?
Roughly $4.81/mo, spreading the $58/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 311 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $58 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Frigidaire FRTE1226AB for its size?
61st percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
Source
ES_1021080_FRTE1226AB_04062026121546_80291277View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Frigidaire and FRTE1226AB 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.