Model
Magic Chef MCBR265WE
Rank #123 means 122 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 11th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 11% of those models.
What does the Magic Chef MCBR265WE cost to run per year?
At $40 a year to run, the Magic Chef MCBR265WE is among the cheapest refrigerator models we track, ranking #123 of 1,000. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $44/yr to run, a saving of roughly $4 a year. Its 11th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is well below the class median, worth weighing against the raw cost figure above. At 2.6 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 Magic Chef MCBR265BE at $40/yr runs a little cheaper and the Sub-Zero DEU2450B*/ADA/* at $40/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 Magic Chef MCBR265WE's $40/yr adds up to roughly $480 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Magic Chef HMAR265SE.
By the numbers
The Magic Chef MCBR265WE 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 $40/yr, here is what the Magic Chef MCBR265WE adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Magic Chef MCBR265WE costs about $400. That is roughly $40 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $440 over the same ten years.
How the Magic Chef MCBR265WE compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $40/yr, it runs about $24 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $32 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $44/yr, the Magic Chef MCBR265WE uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 2.6 cu ft, the Magic Chef MCBR265WE 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 Magic Chef MCBR265WE cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $40 a year it ranks #123 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Magic Chef MCBR265WE cost per month?
Roughly $3.33/mo, spreading the $40/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 215 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $40 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Magic Chef MCBR265WE for its size?
11th 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_1107227_MCBR265WE_101720212239956_8261930View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Magic Chef and MCBR265WE 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.