Model
Midea MRM31D2BST
Rank #311 means 310 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 10th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 10% of those models.
What does the Midea MRM31D2BST cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Midea MRM31D2BST's $50/yr puts it at rank #311 of 1,000, on the cheaper side of the class. It uses 25% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $66/yr to run, a saving of roughly $16 a year. Adjusted for size, it is only more efficient than 10% of refrigerator models we track, so its headline cost is mostly a function of its capacity rather than efficiency. At 3.1 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 Mainstays MS553614756001 at $50/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea WHD-113FB1 at $50/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 Midea MRM31D2BST's $50/yr adds up to roughly $600 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Edgestar CRF321SS.
By the numbers
The Midea MRM31D2BST 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 $50/yr, here is what the Midea MRM31D2BST adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Midea MRM31D2BST costs about $500. That is roughly $160 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $660 over the same ten years.
How the Midea MRM31D2BST compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $50/yr, it runs about $14 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $42 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $66/yr, the Midea MRM31D2BST uses 25% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.1 cu ft, the Midea MRM31D2BST 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. 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 Midea MRM31D2BST cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $50 a year it ranks #311 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Midea MRM31D2BST cost per month?
Roughly $4.18/mo, spreading the $50/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 270 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $50 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Midea MRM31D2BST for its size?
10th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 315 | Mainstays MS5536147560013.1 cu ft | $50 |
| 314 | Insignia NS-CF31TM**26L3.1 cu ft | $50 |
| 313 | Forno FFFFD1738-28WHT-RS14 cu ft | $50 |
| 312 | Elisii DFFFD1738-28RS14 cu ft | $50 |
| 311 | Edgestar CRF321SS3.1 cu ft | $50 |
Source
ES_1030337_MRM31D2BST_031720230028207_3042389View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Midea and MRM31D2BST 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.