Model
Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow
Rank #82 means 81 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 5th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 5% of those models.
What does the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow cost to run per year?
Few refrigerator models we track cost less to run than the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow: about $39 a year, rank #82 of 1,000. It uses 10% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $43/yr to run, a saving of roughly $4 a year. Normalized for capacity, it beats only 5% of refrigerator models we track, one of the weaker efficiency results we track for the class. It is a counter-depth model, built shallower to sit flush with kitchen cabinets, a design choice that typically trades away some interior volume (and so some running-cost headroom) for the built-in look.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Orange at $39/yr runs a little cheaper and the Marvel MLBV*15-IG01A at $39/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 FR17-Vintage Yellow's $39/yr adds up to roughly $468 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Comfee CERR16B0A**.
By the numbers
The Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow 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 $39/yr, here is what the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow 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 FR17-Vintage Yellow costs about $390. That is roughly $40 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $430 over the same ten years.
How the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $39/yr, it runs about $25 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $31 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $43/yr, the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 1.7 cu ft, the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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 Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $39 a year it ranks #82 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow cost per month?
Roughly $3.22/mo, spreading the $39/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 208 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $39 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Upstreman FR17-Vintage Yellow for its size?
5th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 98 | Upstreman FR17-Vintage Orange1.7 cu ft | $39 |
| 97 | Upstreman FR17-Red1.7 cu ft | $39 |
| 96 | Upstreman FR17I1.7 cu ft | $39 |
| 95 | Upstreman FR17F1.7 cu ft | $39 |
| 94 | Upstreman FR17B1.7 cu ft | $39 |
Source
ES_1144488_FR17-Vintage Yellow_08082022101727_5535868View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Upstreman and FR17-Vintage Yellow 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.