Model
Sks SKSCW181**
Rank #35 means 34 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 97th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 97% of those models.
What does the Sks SKSCW181** cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Sks SKSCW181**'s $30/yr running cost puts it at rank #35 of 1,000, among the least expensive refrigerator models we track to keep running. It uses 31% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $43/yr to run, a saving of roughly $13 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 97 means the low running cost is not just a function of size; almost nothing in the class beats it on efficiency once capacity is accounted for. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 9.7 cu ft (the class spans 1.2 to 31.7), size is the clearest lever we can point to for this model's running cost.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Zephyr PRPW24C01BG at $30/yr runs a little cheaper and the Sub-Zero DEU2450R/* at $31/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 Sks SKSCW181**'s $30/yr adds up to roughly $360 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Sks SKSCW181** 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 $30/yr, here is what the Sks SKSCW181** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Sks SKSCW181** costs about $300. That is roughly $130 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $430 over the same ten years.
How the Sks SKSCW181** compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $30/yr, it runs about $34 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $22 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 Sks SKSCW181** uses 31% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 9.7 cu ft, the Sks SKSCW181** is a mid-size refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, putting it squarely in the middle of the class on the size lever that drives most of the cost.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Sks SKSCW181** cheap to run?
Yes. Its $30/yr running cost puts it at rank #35 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Sks SKSCW181** cost per month?
About $2.47 a month, which is the $30 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: 160 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $30 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Sks SKSCW181** for its size?
97th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Zephyr PRPW24C01BG5.6 cu ft | $30 |
| 33 | Xo XOU24WGSL5.7 cu ft | $29 |
| 32 | Hisense HWS054N6SS5.4 cu ft | $29 |
| 31 | Frigidaire EFR115-C-RED-COM1.6 cu ft | $29 |
| 30 | Frigidaire GRWE5726AS5.4 cu ft | $29 |
Source
ES_1118034_SKSCW181**_07242025120701_80263788View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Sks and SKSCW181** 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.