Model
Smeg CB300U
Rank #608 means 607 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 35th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 35% of those models.
What does the Smeg CB300U cost to run per year?
At $72 a year to run, the Smeg CB300U runs more expensively than most models in its class, ranking #608 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $80/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 35 is below the class median, worth weighing alongside the raw dollar figure. 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 Marvel MLRF*24-SS*1A at $72/yr runs a little cheaper and the Black Decker BR2010JS at $72/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 Smeg CB300U's $72/yr adds up to roughly $864 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Smeg CB300U 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 $72/yr, here is what the Smeg CB300U adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Smeg CB300U costs about $720. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $800 over the same ten years.
How the Smeg CB300U compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $72/yr, it runs about $8 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $64 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $80/yr, the Smeg CB300U uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 8.4 cu ft, the Smeg CB300U 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.
- 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 Smeg CB300U cheap to run?
Not especially. At $72 a year it ranks #608 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the pricier part of its class to run, though its size and features may still justify that for your needs.
How much does the Smeg CB300U cost per month?
Roughly $5.99/mo, spreading the $72/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 387 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $72 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Smeg CB300U for its size?
35th 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
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 607 | Marvel MLRF*24-SS*1A4.9 cu ft | $72 |
| 606 | Frigidaire FFHT2033V*20.4 cu ft | $72 |
| 605 | Summit FFBF103***10.5 cu ft | $71 |
| 604 | Kenmore 899.6133#32#20.5 cu ft | $71 |
| 603 | Frigidaire FGHT2055V*20.1 cu ft | $71 |
Source
ES_92281_CB300U_06242015104730_5142022View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Smeg and CB300U 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.