Model
Liebherr FDBI36S
Rank #739 means 738 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 79th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 79% of those models.
What does the Liebherr FDBI36S cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Liebherr FDBI36S's $91/yr running cost ranks it #739, in the above-average-cost group. It uses 27% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $118/yr to run, a saving of roughly $27 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 79 is comfortably above the class median. Counter-depth construction, which this model has, generally means a shallower cabinet and less interior volume than a standard-depth model the same width, a tradeoff worth knowing if you are comparing it on cubic feet.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Ge GDE21DGK**** at $91/yr runs a little cheaper and the Ge GIE22JTN**** at $91/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 Liebherr FDBI36S's $91/yr adds up to roughly $1092 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Liebherr FDBI36S 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 $91/yr, here is what the Liebherr FDBI36S adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Liebherr FDBI36S costs about $910. That is roughly $270 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $1180 over the same ten years.
How the Liebherr FDBI36S compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $91/yr, it runs about $27 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $83 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $118/yr, the Liebherr FDBI36S uses 27% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 20.6 cu ft, the Liebherr FDBI36S is a large refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, and larger refrigerator models generally cost more to run than smaller ones in the same class, simply because there is more to keep cold, spin, heat, or light.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Liebherr FDBI36S cheap to run?
Its $91/yr running cost, rank #739 of 1,000, is above what most refrigerator models we track cost to run, so this is not one of the cheaper picks on electricity alone.
How much does the Liebherr FDBI36S cost per month?
About $7.55 a month, which is the $91 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: 488 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $91 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Liebherr FDBI36S for its size?
79th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 738 | Ge GDE21DGK****20.9 cu ft | $91 |
| 737 | Ge GNE21DYR****20.8 cu ft | $90 |
| 736 | Verona VEFBF2411RISL11.5 cu ft | $89 |
| 735 | Equator RFI 1200 S11.5 cu ft | $89 |
| 734 | Mora RT210N3A*EM21.2 cu ft | $89 |
Source
ES_1017655_FDBI36S_042020260729226_7217861View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Liebherr and FDBI36S 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.