Model
Whirlpool WRB551WNBS
Rank #530 means 529 of the 1,000 refrigerator models we track cost less to run each year; the 44th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 44% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WRB551WNBS cost to run per year?
The Whirlpool WRB551WNBS costs about $66 a year to run, a fairly typical figure for the class; it ranks #530 of 1,000. It uses 20% less energy than the U.S. federal standard model in its class, which would cost about $82/yr to run, a saving of roughly $16 a year. Capacity-normalized, it ranks ahead of 44% of refrigerator models we track, right in the class's middle band. This class has no published efficiency-factor figure beyond annual kWh itself, so at 11.3 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 Ge GTE17DTN**** at $65/yr runs a little cheaper and the Beko BFBF30116SS at $66/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 WRB551WNBS's $66/yr adds up to roughly $792 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WRB551WNBS 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 $66/yr, here is what the Whirlpool WRB551WNBS 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 WRB551WNBS costs about $660. That is roughly $160 less than a standard model in its class, which would run closer to $820 over the same ten years.
How the Whirlpool WRB551WNBS compares
The refrigerator class we track runs from $8 to $149 a year. At $66/yr, it runs about $2 a year above the class median of $64, and it is about $58 a year more than the cheapest refrigerator to run at $8. Against the US federal standard model for its class at about $82/yr, the Whirlpool WRB551WNBS uses 20% less energy.
What drives its running cost
At 11.3 cu ft, the Whirlpool WRB551WNBS is a mid-size refrigerator for its class, which spans 1.2 to 31.7 cu ft with a median of 12.6 cu ft, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone.
- 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 WRB551WNBS cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $66/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #530 of 1,000, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Whirlpool WRB551WNBS cost per month?
About $5.46 a month, which is the $66 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: 353 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $66 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WRB551WNBS for its size?
44th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 529 | Ge GTE17DTN****16.6 cu ft | $65 |
| 528 | Galanz GLR74B**E047.5 cu ft | $65 |
| 527 | Kenmore KMR75TWEE7.5 cu ft | $64 |
| 526 | Kenmore KKTMWM7.5-W7.5 cu ft | $64 |
| 525 | Galanz GLRF76TMRDER27.5 cu ft | $64 |
Source
ES_22856_WRB551WNBS_08132014180745_3265598View certified refrigerator listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WRB551WNBS 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.