Model
Kitchenaid KBFN542S****
Rank #896 means 895 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 66th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 66% of those models.
What does the Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Kitchenaid KBFN542S****'s $117/yr puts it at rank #896 of 1,000, one of the costlier refrigerator models we track to keep running. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $129/yr to run, a saving of roughly $12 a year. Normalized for capacity, it beats 66% of refrigerator models we track, a better-than-average efficiency 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 Kitchenaid KBFN402ESS** at $117/yr runs a little cheaper and the Samsung RF23DB9700** at $118/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 Kitchenaid KBFN542S****'s $117/yr adds up to roughly $1404 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** 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 $117/yr, here is what the Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** costs about $1170. That is roughly $120 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1290 over the same ten years.
How the Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $117/yr, it runs about $53 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $109 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $129/yr, the Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 24.1 cu ft, the Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** 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.
- 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 Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** cheap to run?
Not especially. At $117 a year it ranks #896 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 Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** cost per month?
Roughly $9.79/mo, spreading the $117/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 633 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $117 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Kitchenaid KBFN542S**** for its size?
66th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 895 | Kitchenaid KBFN402ESS**24.2 cu ft | $117 |
| 894 | Ge GNE27JGM****27 cu ft | $117 |
| 893 | Lg LRFLC2706*26.5 cu ft | $117 |
| 892 | Lg LF27BCH54*26.5 cu ft | $117 |
| 891 | Thermador T42BT120NS23.1 cu ft | $117 |
Source
ES_0022856_KBFN542S****_07022025112401_80260614View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Kitchenaid and KBFN542S**** 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.