Model
Koolatron KBC-46SS
Rank #79 means 78 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 2nd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 2% of those models.
What does the Koolatron KBC-46SS cost to run per year?
The Koolatron KBC-46SS holds rank #79 of 1,000 on running cost, at about $38 a year, a genuinely cheap result for the class. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $43/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 2 means its running cost, whatever it is, owes almost nothing to efficiency and almost everything to capacity. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 1.6 cu ft (the class spans 1.2 to 31.7), size is the clearest lever we can point to for this model's running cost.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Rca RFR160-RED at $38/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea WHS-65LB1 at $38/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 Koolatron KBC-46SS's $38/yr adds up to roughly $456 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Midea WHS-65LB1.
By the numbers
The Koolatron KBC-46SS 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 $38/yr, here is what the Koolatron KBC-46SS adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Koolatron KBC-46SS costs about $380. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $430 over the same ten years.
How the Koolatron KBC-46SS compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $38/yr, it runs about $26 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $30 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $43/yr, the Koolatron KBC-46SS uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 1.6 cu ft, the Koolatron KBC-46SS is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, and smaller refrigerator models generally cost less to run for the same job, all else being equal.
- Interior volume. More cubic feet of cold air to maintain generally means a bigger compressor and a higher running-cost figure, even among efficient models.
- Counter depth vs standard depth. Standard-depth models generally offer more interior volume per unit of width than counter-depth models, a tradeoff between built-in looks and cubic feet.
- Compressor technology. How a compressor cycles, full on/off versus a variable-speed inverter design, is one of the biggest hidden differences behind two fridges with similar cubic feet but different running costs.
- Placement and ventilation. Ventilation clearance around the back and top matters more than most owners expect; a fridge starved of airflow runs its compressor longer to hold the same temperature.
Common questions
Is the Koolatron KBC-46SS cheap to run?
Yes. Its $38/yr running cost puts it at rank #79 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Koolatron KBC-46SS cost per month?
About $3.2 a month, which is the $38 annual estimate spread across twelve months at the US average rate of $0.1856/kWh. Your own bill scales with your local electricity rate and how heavily you use it.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
The formula is annual kWh times price per kWh: 207 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $38 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Koolatron KBC-46SS for its size?
2nd percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is not the main reason for the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
Source
ES_1137414_KBC-46SS_032420210034423_8706564View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Koolatron and KBC-46SS 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.