Model
Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue
Rank #262 means 261 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 13th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 13% of those models.
What does the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue cost to run per year?
Among the 1,000 refrigerator models we track, the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue sits in the below-average-cost group, rank #262, at roughly $48 a year. It uses 11% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $54/yr to run, a saving of roughly $6 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of just 13% of refrigerator models we track, a clearly below-average result. Counter-depth construction, which this model has, generally means a shallower cabinet and less interior volume than a standard-depth model the same width, a tradeoff worth knowing if you are comparing it on cubic feet.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Magic Chef HMAR33BE at $48/yr runs a little cheaper and the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Mint at $48/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 Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue's $48/yr adds up to roughly $576 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Magic Chef HMAR33BE.
By the numbers
The Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue 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 $48/yr, here is what the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue costs about $480. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $540 over the same ten years.
How the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $48/yr, it runs about $16 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $40 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 Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue uses 11% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 3.2 cu ft, the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue 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 Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue cheap to run?
Yes. Its $48/yr running cost puts it at rank #262 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue cost per month?
About $3.99 a month, which is the $48 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: 258 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $48 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Upstreman BR321 Pro-Blue for its size?
13th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 262 | Magic Chef HMAR33BE3.2 cu ft | $48 |
| 261 | Danby DBC117A1*3.1 cu ft | $48 |
| 260 | Vissani VS32HSCPB3.2 cu ft | $48 |
| 259 | Perlick HP15R*4E-**-*****2.8 cu ft | $48 |
| 258 | Vissani MDAR27WH52.7 cu ft | $47 |
Source
ES_1144488_BR321 Pro-Blue_12132024144730_4257676View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Upstreman and BR321 Pro-Blue 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.