Model
Summit BF181SS
Rank #597 means 596 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 43rd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 43% of those models.
What does the Summit BF181SS cost to run per year?
The Summit BF181SS costs about $71 a year to run, a middle-of-the-pack figure at rank #597 of 1,000. It uses 14% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $82/yr to run, a saving of roughly $11 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 43 is fairly typical for the class, neither a standout nor a laggard. At 11.7 cu ft, it is a mid-size refrigerator for the class, which runs 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft; size and efficiency are the two levers behind the figure above, and this dataset does not carry a separate efficiency-factor column for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Fisher & Paykel RB2470BRV1 at $71/yr runs a little cheaper and the Epic EFF202SS at $71/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 Summit BF181SS's $71/yr adds up to roughly $852 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Summit BF181SS 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 $71/yr, here is what the Summit BF181SS adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Summit BF181SS costs about $710. That is roughly $110 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $820 over the same ten years.
How the Summit BF181SS compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $71/yr, it runs about $7 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $63 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $82/yr, the Summit BF181SS uses 14% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 11.7 cu ft, the Summit BF181SS 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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 Summit BF181SS cheap to run?
It is about average. At $71 a year it ranks #597 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Summit BF181SS cost per month?
Roughly $5.88/mo, spreading the $71/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 380 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $71 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Summit BF181SS for its size?
43rd percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 596 | Fisher & Paykel RB2470BRV18 cu ft | $71 |
| 595 | Danby DBMF100C1SLDB10 cu ft | $71 |
| 594 | Ge GTE19JTN****19.2 cu ft | $70 |
| 593 | Amana ARTX2419S***19.3 cu ft | $70 |
| 592 | Whirlpool URBC5024PZ11.2 cu ft | $70 |
Source
ES_1123023_BF181SS_101320211223813_1742152View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Summit and BF181SS 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.