How much electricity does a freezer use?
In U.S. homes that have one, a freezer uses about 570 kWh a year, or 48 kWh a month, an average draw of about 65 watts around the clock. At the 2025 average residential price of 17.2¢ per kWh that is $98 a year or $8.18 a month. These are EIA estimates from its Residential Energy Consumption Survey of homes and their utility bills, not a manufacturer's label.
What decides the number
A separate freezer, upright or chest, used 570 kWh a year on average. Chest freezers lose less cold air when opened. A freezer in an unheated garage works harder in summer.
Freezer electricity use by home
By region
| Region | kWh / year | Cost / year at 17.2¢ |
|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 501 | $86 |
| Midwest | 545 | $94 |
| South | 624 | $108 |
| West | 551 | $95 |
By type of home
| Type of home | kWh / year | Cost / year at 17.2¢ |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family detached | 578 | $100 |
| Single-family attached | 457 | $79 |
| Apartments in buildings with 2–4 units | 463 | $80 |
| Apartments in buildings with 5 or more units | 518 | $89 |
| Mobile homes | 560 | $96 |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), Tables CE5.3a/CE5.3b, average site electricity consumption per household using the end use (revised March 2024).
Cost to run a freezer in every state
| State | ¢/kWh | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 40.4 | $19.19 | $230.28 |
| California | 31.4 | $14.89 | $178.70 |
| Massachusetts | 30.4 | $14.44 | $173.34 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5 | $14.00 | $168.04 |
| Connecticut | 29.3 | $13.92 | $167.07 |
| Maine | 27.7 | $13.15 | $157.83 |
| New York | 26.4 | $12.54 | $150.42 |
| Alaska | 26.1 | $12.40 | $148.83 |
| New Hampshire | 24.5 | $11.65 | $139.82 |
| Vermont | 22.8 | $10.83 | $129.90 |
| New Jersey | 22.5 | $10.68 | $128.14 |
| District of Columbia | 21.9 | $10.41 | $124.94 |
| Michigan | 20.0 | $9.51 | $114.17 |
| Maryland | 19.5 | $9.28 | $111.32 |
| Pennsylvania | 19.3 | $9.16 | $109.95 |
| Wisconsin | 18.1 | $8.59 | $103.06 |
| Illinois | 17.7 | $8.39 | $100.72 |
| Delaware | 17.1 | $8.15 | $97.76 |
| Ohio | 16.9 | $8.03 | $96.33 |
| Alabama | 16.1 | $7.64 | $91.71 |
| Indiana | 16.0 | $7.58 | $90.97 |
| Minnesota | 15.8 | $7.52 | $90.23 |
| Colorado | 15.7 | $7.45 | $89.43 |
| Oregon | 15.5 | $7.34 | $88.12 |
| Texas | 15.4 | $7.32 | $87.78 |
| West Virginia | 15.4 | $7.31 | $87.72 |
| Virginia | 15.3 | $7.26 | $87.10 |
| Arizona | 15.3 | $7.25 | $86.98 |
| Florida | 15.2 | $7.22 | $86.70 |
| South Carolina | 15.1 | $7.18 | $86.18 |
| New Mexico | 14.8 | $7.05 | $84.65 |
| Georgia | 14.7 | $7.00 | $84.02 |
| Kansas | 14.4 | $6.86 | $82.31 |
| Mississippi | 14.0 | $6.66 | $79.97 |
| North Carolina | 14.0 | $6.65 | $79.80 |
| Iowa | 13.6 | $6.47 | $77.63 |
| Wyoming | 13.4 | $6.35 | $76.21 |
| South Dakota | 13.3 | $6.33 | $75.92 |
| Missouri | 13.3 | $6.32 | $75.81 |
| Nevada | 13.3 | $6.30 | $75.58 |
| Tennessee | 13.2 | $6.28 | $75.35 |
| Oklahoma | 13.2 | $6.27 | $75.30 |
| Washington | 13.2 | $6.26 | $75.07 |
| Kentucky | 13.1 | $6.24 | $74.84 |
| Utah | 13.0 | $6.18 | $74.21 |
| Montana | 13.0 | $6.17 | $74.04 |
| Arkansas | 12.9 | $6.11 | $73.36 |
| Louisiana | 12.5 | $5.95 | $71.36 |
| Nebraska | 12.1 | $5.72 | $68.69 |
| Idaho | 11.8 | $5.62 | $67.43 |
| North Dakota | 11.8 | $5.61 | $67.37 |
570 kWh a year at each state's 2025 average residential price (EIA-861), all charges included.
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