How many watts does a fridge-freezer use?
By Tom Calder · Figures checked 4 November 2026 · Costs at 26.32p per kWh (Ofgem cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026)
A fridge-freezer is rated at about 100W to 240W, but its compressor switches on and off, so over a day it averages only 12W to 51W: 0.28 to 1.23 kWh a day, or 7p to 32p a day (£27.37 to £118.44 a year) at 26.32p per kWh. A modern A-rated model sits at the low end, a large American-style one in the middle (Bosch’s KAD93AIERG: 323 kWh a year), and an older one at the top.
The numbers
- Running watts
- 100W to 240W
- Nameplate “connection rating” from Bosch spec sheets: 100W and 120W for 60cm models, 240W for an American-style one.
- Amps at 230V (most)
- 1A
- Energy a day
- 0.28 to 1.23 kWh
- Energy label kWh a year ÷ 365: 104 kWh (Bosch KGN392LAF, class A) to about 450 kWh for an older model.
- Cost a day
- 7p to 32p
- Cost a year, from the energy label
- £27.37 to £118.44
- Start-up surge, for planning
- about 960W
- No maker publishes one. This is BLUETTI’s 2–4× rule for compressors applied to 240W: a planning figure.
- On a 1kWh power station
- 13 to 35 hours
- On a 2kWh power station
- 25 hours to 3 days
Costs use 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap's average Direct Debit electricity unit rate for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own rate is on your bill; on a fixed or time-of-use tariff it will differ.
How it’s used, and what that costs
The rating plate gives the most the fridge-freezer is built to draw. Bosch’s spec sheets give 100W and 120W for 60cm models and 240W for an American-style one. The compressor runs below that and cycles, so the energy label is the better guide to cost. Bosch’s A-rated 363-litre KGN392LAF is labelled at 104 kWh a year and its E-rated American-style KAD93AIERG at 323 kWh. The European Commission puts the average fridge-freezer sold in 1990 at 477 kWh a year, which is why an old one can cost several times a new one to run.
The label is a lab test with the doors shut, so a warm kitchen and frequent door opening push real use up.
The gap between an older and a newer fridge-freezer on the label is real, but per day it is pennies, so whether replacing a working one pays back depends on its age and what the new one costs. The figure on your own model’s energy label is the one to use.
In a power cut: how long a power station would run it
A 1kWh power station: 13 to 35 hours. A 2kWh power station: 25 hours to 3 days. These use the same planning method as our power station pages: capacity × 90% usable depth × 85% inverter efficiency, divided by the load plus about 10W the unit uses itself (BLUETTI’s UK formula).
Output matters as much as capacity. The 7 units around 1kWh we list supply 1,500W to 2,000W continuously, and the 6 around 2kWh supply 2,200W to 3,000W, so check a unit’s rated output covers 240W and its surge rating covers the start-up before you rely on it.
A full freezer left shut keeps food frozen for a good while without power. Before deciding to power one, read power cut food safety and our guide to running a fridge-freezer on a power station. If you do, turn off the power station’s ECO or auto-off mode: EcoFlow and BLUETTI both warn a fridge’s cycling load can make it shut its AC output off.
To size one for everything you’d want to keep running, use the sizer on our power stations comparison.
Common questions
Why is my fridge warm after a power cut?
Because it has been off: with no power the compressor stops and the inside slowly warms, faster each time the door opens. Once power returns, give it time to cool back down before restocking. The Food Standards Agency’s advice on what to keep and what to throw is in our power cut food safety guide.
How much does it cost to run a fridge-freezer for a year?
At 26.32p per kWh, £27.37 to £118.44: about 104 kWh a year for an efficient A-rated model up to about 450 kWh for an older one. The kWh figure on your own model’s energy label gives your number.
How many amps does a fridge-freezer draw?
At the UK’s 230 volts, amps are watts divided by 230. At 100W to 240W, that is 0.43 to 1 amps while it runs at full power.
Compare: Fridge (no freezer) · Chest freezer
Free alerts for your home
Home Alerts emails you when a power cut, a Met Office warning or a flood warning covers your postcode. Free for your own home. Sign up in a minute.
Start free →Sources (12)
- Energy Efficiency Class A; 104 kWh/annum; total volume 363 l
- “Connection rating: 100 W”
- “Connection rating: 120 W”
- American side-by-side: class E, 323 kWh/annum, 191 l + 371 l, connection rating 240 W
- average sold refrigerator-freezer 477 kWh/a in 1990, 181 kWh/a in 2020 (Commission modelling)
- “devices with motors or compressors may start at 2-4 times their rated power”; disable ECO mode for “critical appliances such as lights and refrigerators”
- refrigerator’s power fluctuation may shut the unit down; set AC output to “Never Turn Off”
- Ofgem: Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges, 1 October to 31 December 2026electricity 26.32p per kWh, Direct Debit; no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027
- BLUETTI UK — Elite 200 V2 (runtime formula: DoD 90%, η 85%, self-consumption about 10W)
- BLUETTI UK — Elite 100 V2 (self-consumption about 10W)
- Jackery UK — runtime formula (capacity × 0.85 ÷ watts)
- EcoFlow — test runtime before an emergency0.80–0.90 for AC; DC ports for routers and phones
PreparedBritain is independent and not affiliated with HM Government.
