Model
U-Line 3018RB
Rank #205 means 204 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 21st efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 21% of those models.
What does the U-Line 3018RB cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the U-Line 3018RB sits in the below-average-cost group, rank #205, at roughly $43 a year. It uses 21% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $54/yr to run, a saving of roughly $11 a year. Efficiency-wise, once size is accounted for, it trails most of the class, ahead of only 21% of the models we track. 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 Liebherr MRB 2410 at $43/yr runs a little cheaper and the Jenn Air JURF*242H*** at $43/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 U-Line 3018RB's $43/yr adds up to roughly $516 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The U-Line 3018RB 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 $43/yr, here is what the U-Line 3018RB adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the U-Line 3018RB costs about $430. That is roughly $110 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $540 over the same ten years.
How the U-Line 3018RB compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $43/yr, it runs about $21 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $35 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $54/yr, the U-Line 3018RB uses 21% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.4 cu ft, the U-Line 3018RB is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency even enters the picture.
- 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 U-Line 3018RB cheap to run?
Yes. Its $43/yr running cost puts it at rank #205 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the U-Line 3018RB cost per month?
About $3.56 a month, which is the $43 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: 230 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $43 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the U-Line 3018RB for its size?
21st percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 204 | Liebherr MRB 241011.5 cu ft | $43 |
| 203 | Rca RFR464-B-WHITE-COM4.6 cu ft | $43 |
| 202 | Rca RFR464-B-BLACK-6COM4.6 cu ft | $43 |
| 201 | Whirlpool WHR43S1E4.2 cu ft | $42 |
| 200 | Vissani HVR440HWEF4.4 cu ft | $42 |
Source
ES_92283_3018RB_09282016193628_1388102View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026U-Line and 3018RB 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.