Model
Insignia NS-RTM20**3
Rank #611 means 610 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 94th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 94% of those models.
What does the Insignia NS-RTM20**3 cost to run per year?
At $72 a year to run, the Insignia NS-RTM20**3 runs more expensively than most models in its class, ranking #611 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 $81/yr to run, a saving of roughly $9 a year. Efficiency-wise, once capacity is accounted for, it beats 94% of the class, a solidly strong result rather than a size-driven fluke. At 20.5 cu ft, it is a large 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 Element ERT21CS** at $72/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea MRT21D3*** at $72/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-RTM20**3's $72/yr adds up to roughly $864 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Element ERT21CS**.
By the numbers
The Insignia NS-RTM20**3 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 $72/yr, here is what the Insignia NS-RTM20**3 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-RTM20**3 costs about $720. That is roughly $90 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $810 over the same ten years.
How the Insignia NS-RTM20**3 compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $72/yr, it runs about $8 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $64 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $81/yr, the Insignia NS-RTM20**3 uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 20.5 cu ft, the Insignia NS-RTM20**3 is a large refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, size is usually the single biggest lever behind a running-cost figure, and at this end of the range there is more capacity to service, which tends to push the number up.
- 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-RTM20**3 cheap to run?
Not especially. At $72 a year it ranks #611 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 Insignia NS-RTM20**3 cost per month?
Roughly $6.03/mo, spreading the $72/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 390 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $72 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Insignia NS-RTM20**3 for its size?
94th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 611 | Element ERT21CS**20.5 cu ft | $72 |
| 610 | Moffat MBE11DSVSS10.9 cu ft | $72 |
| 609 | Black Decker BR2010JS20.1 cu ft | $72 |
| 608 | Smeg CB300U8.4 cu ft | $72 |
| 607 | Marvel MLRF*24-SS*1A4.9 cu ft | $72 |
Source
ES_1059185_NS-RTM20**3_111720250657159_3081052View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Insignia and NS-RTM20**3 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.