Model
Whirlpool WH43RS2E
Rank #300 means 299 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 23rd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 23% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WH43RS2E cost to run per year?
At roughly $50 a year to run, ranking #300 of 1,000, the Whirlpool WH43RS2E costs less 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 $55/yr to run, a saving of roughly $5 a year. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 23 suggests its capacity is doing more work than its efficiency to keep the headline cost down. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 4.3 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 Vissani HVAR43GWE at $50/yr runs a little cheaper and the Comfee CERM44B0AIX at $50/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 Whirlpool WH43RS2E's $50/yr adds up to roughly $600 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Vissani HVAR43GWE.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WH43RS2E 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 $50/yr, here is what the Whirlpool WH43RS2E adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Whirlpool WH43RS2E costs about $500. That is roughly $50 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $550 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WH43RS2E compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $50/yr, it runs about $14 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $42 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $55/yr, the Whirlpool WH43RS2E uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 4.3 cu ft, the Whirlpool WH43RS2E 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.
- 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 Whirlpool WH43RS2E cheap to run?
Yes. Its $50/yr running cost puts it at rank #300 of 1,000, below what most refrigerator models we track cost to run.
How much does the Whirlpool WH43RS2E cost per month?
About $4.15 a month, which is the $50 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: 268 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $50 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WH43RS2E for its size?
23rd percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 300 | Vissani HVAR43GWE4.3 cu ft | $50 |
| 299 | Roomwell REFNFR44004.4 cu ft | $50 |
| 298 | Danby Designer DAR044A8*4.4 cu ft | $50 |
| 297 | Crosley ARXH443UW4.4 cu ft | $50 |
| 296 | Vissani VS46HSCPW4.6 cu ft | $50 |
Source
ES_22856_WH43RS2E_05172017115223_70134709View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WH43RS2E 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.