Model
Summit FFBF121W
Rank #632 means 631 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 42nd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 42% of those models.
What does the Summit FFBF121W cost to run per year?
At roughly $74 a year to run, ranking #632 of 1,000, the Summit FFBF121W costs more than the typical refrigerator model we track. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $82/yr to run, a saving of roughly $8 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 42 lands in the middle of the pack once capacity is accounted for. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 11.7 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 Hamilton Beach HBF1152-SS-T-6COM at $74/yr runs a little cheaper and the Summit LBF12PL at $74/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 FFBF121W's $74/yr adds up to roughly $888 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Hamilton Beach HBF1152-SS-T-6COM.
By the numbers
The Summit FFBF121W 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 $74/yr, here is what the Summit FFBF121W 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 FFBF121W costs about $740. That is roughly $80 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $820 over the same ten years.
How the Summit FFBF121W compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $74/yr, it runs about $10 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $66 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 FFBF121W uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 11.7 cu ft, the Summit FFBF121W 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, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone.
- 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 Summit FFBF121W cheap to run?
Its $74/yr running cost, rank #632 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 Summit FFBF121W cost per month?
About $6.17 a month, which is the $74 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: 399 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $74 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Summit FFBF121W for its size?
42nd 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
Source
ES_92282_FFBF121W_083020242040781_2573347View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Summit and FFBF121W 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.