Model
Sub-Zero ID-30CI
Rank #701 means 700 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 9th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 9% of those models.
What does the Sub-Zero ID-30CI cost to run per year?
At about $85 a year, the Sub-Zero ID-30CI costs more to run than most refrigerator models we track, rank #701 of 1,000. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $93/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 9 means the low running cost, where it exists, is driven almost entirely by capacity rather than efficiency. Its listing marks it counter-depth, meaning it sits nearly flush with surrounding cabinets rather than protruding a few extra inches like a standard-depth model; that shallower body usually means less interior volume for the same footprint.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Frigidaire FRTI1936AB at $85/yr runs a little cheaper and the Greenline GLCHRFD18FFSS at $85/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 Sub-Zero ID-30CI's $85/yr adds up to roughly $1020 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Sub-Zero ID-30CI 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 $85/yr, here is what the Sub-Zero ID-30CI adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Sub-Zero ID-30CI costs about $850. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $930 over the same ten years.
How the Sub-Zero ID-30CI compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $85/yr, it runs about $21 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $77 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $93/yr, the Sub-Zero ID-30CI uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 5 cu ft, the Sub-Zero ID-30CI 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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 Sub-Zero ID-30CI cheap to run?
Its $85/yr running cost, rank #701 of 1,000, is above what most refrigerator models we track cost to run, so this is not one of the cheaper picks on electricity alone.
How much does the Sub-Zero ID-30CI cost per month?
About $7.08 a month, which is the $85 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: 458 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $85 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Sub-Zero ID-30CI for its size?
9th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 700 | Frigidaire FRTI1936AB18.7 cu ft | $85 |
| 699 | Vitara VQFR1720ESE17.3 cu ft | $85 |
| 698 | Unique UNQ-FR17LTP AC LG17.3 cu ft | $85 |
| 697 | Summit LRF4D18PL17.3 cu ft | $85 |
| 696 | Summit FDRD17PL17.3 cu ft | $85 |
Source
ES_0031863_ID-30CI_04302014021435_2723809View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Sub-Zero and ID-30CI 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.