Cost to run a freezer in every state
For 570 kWh a year, at each state's average residential electricity rate (August 2026, EIA). Click a state for more detail.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $6.04 | $72.50 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $6.11 | $73.36 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $6.32 | $75.87 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $6.32 | $75.87 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $6.35 | $76.21 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $6.37 | $76.49 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $6.43 | $77.18 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $6.56 | $78.66 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $6.83 | $81.91 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $6.85 | $82.25 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $6.85 | $82.25 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $6.95 | $83.39 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $7.04 | $84.47 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $7.10 | $85.22 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $7.12 | $85.44 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $7.15 | $85.79 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $7.20 | $86.36 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $7.35 | $88.18 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $7.40 | $88.75 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $7.49 | $89.83 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $7.55 | $90.63 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $7.56 | $90.69 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $7.56 | $90.74 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $7.61 | $91.31 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $7.75 | $92.97 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $7.76 | $93.08 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $7.84 | $94.11 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $8.08 | $97.01 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $8.10 | $97.24 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $8.16 | $97.87 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $8.17 | $98.04 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $8.38 | $100.55 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $8.88 | $106.59 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $9.18 | $110.12 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $9.21 | $110.47 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $9.22 | $110.64 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $10.17 | $121.98 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $10.34 | $124.09 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $10.92 | $131.04 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $11.32 | $135.89 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $11.64 | $139.71 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $11.69 | $140.28 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $12.34 | $148.09 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $13.13 | $157.55 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $13.39 | $160.63 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $13.61 | $163.31 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $13.97 | $167.64 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $14.13 | $169.58 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $14.48 | $173.74 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $15.25 | $183.03 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $22.41 | $268.93 |
How much homes actually use, by region
Average annual electricity used by a freezer in homes that have one, from the EIA's 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), and what that use costs at today's U.S. average rate.
| Region | kWh per year | Cost per year |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 570 | $103.51 |
| New England | 452 | $82.08 |
| Middle Atlantic | 518 | $94.07 |
| East North Central | 530 | $96.25 |
| West North Central | 572 | $103.88 |
| South Atlantic | 600 | $108.96 |
| East South Central | 644 | $116.95 |
| West South Central | 646 | $117.31 |
| Mountain North | 557 | $101.15 |
| Mountain South | 577 | $104.78 |
| Pacific | 541 | $98.25 |
How the cost is calculated
Appliances that run around the clock cycle on and off, so their wattage alone overstates their use. The EnergyGuide label's kWh per year already accounts for that: divide it by 12 and multiply by your rate to get the monthly cost.
How to lower the cost
- Chest freezers generally use less energy than uprights of the same size.
- A full freezer holds its temperature better than an empty one.
- Defrost manual-defrost models before ice builds up more than about 1/4 inch.
