Model
Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L
Rank #311 means 310 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 10th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 10% of those models.
What does the Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L cost to run per year?
At $50 a year to run, the Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L runs cheaper than most models in its class, ranking #311 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track. It uses 25% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $66/yr to run, a saving of roughly $16 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 10 is among the lowest in its class. At 3.1 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 Forno FFFFD1738-28WHT-RS at $50/yr runs a little cheaper and the Mainstays MS553614756001 at $50/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 Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L's $50/yr adds up to roughly $600 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Edgestar CRF321SS.
By the numbers
The Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L 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 $50/yr, here is what the Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L costs about $500. That is roughly $160 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $660 over the same ten years.
How the Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $50/yr, it runs about $14 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $42 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 Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L uses 25% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.1 cu ft, the Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is.
- 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 Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $50 a year it ranks #311 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L cost per month?
Roughly $4.18/mo, spreading the $50/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 270 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $50 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L for its size?
10th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 313 | Forno FFFFD1738-28WHT-RS14 cu ft | $50 |
| 312 | Elisii DFFFD1738-28RS14 cu ft | $50 |
| 311 | Edgestar CRF321SS3.1 cu ft | $50 |
| 310 | Black+Decker BUC1400XS14 cu ft | $50 |
| 309 | West Bend WB0440ARB*4.4 cu ft | $50 |
Source
ES_1059185_NS-CF31TM**26L_062620250444959_7785068View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Insignia and NS-CF31TM**26L 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.