Model
Whirlpool WH46**E
Rank #295 means 294 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 26th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 26% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WH46**E cost to run per year?
At $49 a year to run, the Whirlpool WH46**E runs cheaper than most models in its class, ranking #295 of 1,000 refrigerator models 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 $6 a year. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 26 is below the class median, worth weighing alongside the raw dollar figure. At 4.6 cu ft, it is a small refrigerator for the class, which runs 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft; size and efficiency are the two levers behind the figure above, and this dataset does not carry a separate efficiency-factor column for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Truarctic THRF14522SS at $49/yr runs a little cheaper and the Vissani VS46HSCPW 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 WH46**E's $49/yr adds up to roughly $588 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WH46**E 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 $49/yr, here is what the Whirlpool WH46**E 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 WH46**E costs about $490. That is roughly $60 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $550 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WH46**E compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $49/yr, it runs about $15 a year cheaper than the class median of $64, and it is about $41 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 WH46**E uses 10% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 4.6 cu ft, the Whirlpool WH46**E is a small refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, at the small end of the class, capacity itself is doing a lot of the work to keep that figure down, separate from how efficient the unit actually is.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Whirlpool WH46**E cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $49 a year it ranks #295 of 1,000 refrigerator models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Whirlpool WH46**E cost per month?
Roughly $4.11/mo, spreading the $49/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 266 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $49 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WH46**E for its size?
26th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 294 | Truarctic THRF14522SS4.5 cu ft | $49 |
| 293 | Thor Kitchen RBC24SSD-BLK5 cu ft | $49 |
| 292 | Magic Chef HMTR450SE4.5 cu ft | $49 |
| 291 | Danby DCR045B1******4.5 cu ft | $49 |
| 290 | Miele K 2601 Vi13 cu ft | $49 |
Source
ES_1108549_WH46**E_12162014121308_70014210View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WH46**E 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.