Model
Ge GDE03GLK****
Rank #438 means 437 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 5th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 5% of those models.
What does the Ge GDE03GLK**** cost to run per year?
At $60 a year to run, the Ge GDE03GLK**** sits close to the middle of its class on cost, ranking #438 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $66/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 5 is among the lowest in its class. At 3 cu ft, it is a small 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 Frestec FTC47RE at $60/yr runs a little cheaper and the Tcl TRM47D5AW at $60/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 Ge GDE03GLK****'s $60/yr adds up to roughly $720 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Ge GDE03GLK**** 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 $60/yr, here is what the Ge GDE03GLK**** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Ge GDE03GLK**** costs about $600. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $660 over the same ten years.
How the Ge GDE03GLK**** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $60/yr, it runs about $4 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $52 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $66/yr, the Ge GDE03GLK**** uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3 cu ft, the Ge GDE03GLK**** 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. 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 Ge GDE03GLK**** cheap to run?
It is about average. At $60 a year it ranks #438 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Ge GDE03GLK**** cost per month?
Roughly $4.96/mo, spreading the $60/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 321 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $60 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Ge GDE03GLK**** for its size?
5th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 437 | Frestec FTC47RE4.7 cu ft | $60 |
| 436 | Whirlpool WH31S1E3.1 cu ft | $59 |
| 435 | Vissani VSR31MS1E013 cu ft | $59 |
| 434 | Viking Range,Llc FDREIC7300R16.9 cu ft | $59 |
| 433 | Upstreman BD311-White3.1 cu ft | $59 |
Source
ES_1123206_GDE03GLK****_12112015023917_70056837View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Ge and GDE03GLK**** 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.