Model
Rca RFR834-C
Rank #406 means 405 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 8th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 8% of those models.
What does the Rca RFR834-C cost to run per year?
The Rca RFR834-C costs about $58 a year to run, a middle-of-the-pack figure at rank #406 of 1,000. It uses 13% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $67/yr to run, a saving of roughly $9 a year. Its 8th size-adjusted efficiency percentile is well below the class median, worth weighing against the raw cost figure above. 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 Miele K 2902 Vi at $58/yr runs a little cheaper and the Upstreman BD321 at $58/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 RFR834-C's $58/yr adds up to roughly $696 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Upstreman BD321.
By the numbers
The Rca RFR834-C 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 $58/yr, here is what the Rca RFR834-C 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 RFR834-C costs about $580. That is roughly $90 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $670 over the same ten years.
How the Rca RFR834-C compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $58/yr, it runs about $6 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $50 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $67/yr, the Rca RFR834-C uses 13% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Rca RFR834-C 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.
- 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 RFR834-C cheap to run?
It is about average. At $58 a year it ranks #406 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Rca RFR834-C cost per month?
Roughly $4.83/mo, spreading the $58/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 312 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $58 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Rca RFR834-C for its size?
8th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 405 | Miele K 2902 Vi20.6 cu ft | $58 |
| 404 | Galanz GLR12TS5F12 cu ft | $58 |
| 403 | Galanz GLR12TBKEFR12 cu ft | $58 |
| 402 | Black+Decker BDA12GLAS12 cu ft | $58 |
| 401 | Omnimax 3760-91311.5 cu ft | $58 |
Source
ES_1120898_RFR834-C_06022021210542_7872261View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Rca and RFR834-C 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.