Model
Rca RFR160-RED
Rank #69 means 68 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 3rd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 3% of those models.
What does the Rca RFR160-RED cost to run per year?
The Rca RFR160-RED costs about $38 a year to run and sits near the top of the cheapest-to-run leaderboard, rank #69 of 1,000. 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 3th size-adjusted efficiency percentile sits at the floor of the class, a figure worth weighing carefully against the raw cost above. It is a counter-depth model, built shallower to sit flush with kitchen cabinets, a design choice that typically trades away some interior volume (and so some running-cost headroom) for the built-in look.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Homcom 800-129V81BK at $38/yr runs a little cheaper and the Koolatron KBC-46SS 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 Rca RFR160-RED's $38/yr adds up to roughly $456 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Bangson US-BSR-004.
By the numbers
The Rca RFR160-RED 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 Rca RFR160-RED adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Rca RFR160-RED 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 Rca RFR160-RED 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 Rca RFR160-RED uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 1.6 cu ft, the Rca RFR160-RED is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency 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.
- 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 Rca RFR160-RED cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $38 a year it ranks #69 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Rca RFR160-RED cost per month?
Roughly $3.19/mo, spreading the $38/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 206 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $38 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Rca RFR160-RED for its size?
3rd 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_1120898_RFR160-RED_11142022122539_8884090View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Rca and RFR160-RED 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.