How Many Watts Does a Refrigerator Use?
- Guide type
- Question
- Last reviewed
- Sources
- 5 cited
- Tested by us
- No. How we research
No link on this page earns us money today. If we join affiliate programs, this notice will say so, and it will never change what we recommend.
Three different numbers. Per day, the median full-size ENERGY STAR fridge uses about 1.3 kWh, or 55 W on average 1. While the compressor runs, it draws more than that average; the nameplate gives a maximum, 725 W for a 16 cu ft frost-free fridge 2. At start-up, generator maker Generac's rule of thumb is about twice the running watts 3. For a battery, size on the kWh per day; for the inverter, on the running and starting watts.
| Station size | Runtime for this load |
|---|---|
| 1,024 Wh | ≈ 12 h |
| 2,048 Wh | ≈ 23 h |
| 3,584 Wh | ≈ 41 h |
How we calculate: capacity × 85 % usable4,5 ÷ (55 W load1 + 20 W the inverter uses on its own, our assumption: the maker does not publish it). Why these figures
Running watts, startup watts and kWh per day
A fridge does not draw the same power all day. Its compressor switches on and off to hold the temperature. That gives three numbers people mix up:
- kWh per day decides how big a battery you need. ENERGY STAR data give these medians and ranges for certified full-size models 1:
| Type | Median per year | Per day | 80 % of models, per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top freezer | 363 kWh | ≈ 1.0 kWh | 0.8 to 1.2 kWh |
| Bottom freezer | 558 kWh | ≈ 1.5 kWh | 1.1 to 2.0 kWh |
| Side-by-side | 642 kWh | ≈ 1.8 kWh | 1.3 to 2.1 kWh |
| All three types | 478 kWh | ≈ 1.3 kWh | 0.9 to 1.9 kWh |
- Running watts are what the compressor draws while it runs. Makers rarely publish them. The nameplate gives a maximum: Virginia Cooperative Extension lists a 16 cu ft frost-free fridge at 725 W 2. The same guide says a fridge runs at its maximum wattage about a third of the time it is plugged in 2. Applied to a nameplate figure, that old rule of thumb overestimates a modern fridge several times over: use the kWh on your label.
- Starting watts are the brief surge as the compressor starts. Generac’s rule of thumb is twice the running watts 3; a motor can draw about three times its running current for a moment 2.
Read your own fridge’s label
- The EnergyGuide label (US) or EnerGuide label (Canada) shows the yearly kWh. Divide by 365 for your daily use. That is the best number for sizing a battery.
- The rating plate inside the fridge gives the amps. Amps × 120 V is the most it can draw, useful for sizing an inverter.
What it means for a generator or power station
- Battery size: start from the kWh per day. With our method (85 % usable 4,5, plus about 20 W the station uses on its own), a 1,024 Wh station runs a 1.3 kWh-a-day fridge for about 12 hours and a 2,048 Wh station for about 23 hours.
- Output and surge: pick a station or generator rated well above the running watts, with surge headroom for the start. Generac sizes a refrigerator/freezer at about 700 running watts 3.
- Energy-saving modes: some stations cut their outlets when a fridge pauses between cycles. Turn those modes off; the fridge and freezer outage guide shows how for several models and gives the official food safety times.
To add the fridge to the rest of your outage list, use the power station calculator. Our method is on the how we research page.
Questions
How many watts does a refrigerator use per day?
Energy per day is counted in kilowatt-hours. The median full-size ENERGY STAR fridge uses 478 kWh a year, about 1.3 kWh a day; 80 % of certified models fall between about 0.9 and 1.9 kWh a day 1. Your EnergyGuide or EnerGuide label gives your own model's yearly figure: divide it by 365.
How many watts does a refrigerator use to start?
Makers rarely publish it. Generac's generator worksheet says starting watts are typically twice the running watts 3, and a Virginia extension guide notes that a motor draws about three times its running current as it starts 2. Treat both as rules of thumb, and leave headroom.
How many watts does a refrigerator use on a generator?
Generac's worksheet lists a refrigerator/freezer at about 700 running watts for sizing a generator 3. That is a planning value with a margin, not what your fridge draws most of the time.
Bottom line
For a battery or power station, use the kWh per day from the label: about 1.3 kWh for a typical full-size fridge. For the inverter or generator, leave room for the start-up surge: a station rated well above the fridge's running watts.
Related guidesWhat we checked, and what we didn't
- Yearly energy use of certified fridges in ENERGY STAR data, by type
- Nameplate wattage and duty-cycle rule in a university extension guide
- Running and starting watts measured by a maker: none published that we found; the startup figures are generator-maker rules of thumb.
- Your own fridge. We have not tested any fridge or station.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Refrigerators dataset (queried 2026-11-10; median computed by us) · U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR
- Energy Series: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use (BSE-301), nameplate wattage list · Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Portable generator wattage worksheet (2018): approximate running watts; starting watts typically 2X running watts · Generac
- Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 review: measured 910 Wh of 1,070 Wh (July 23, 2026) · OutdoorGearLab
- The Best Portable Power Stations, Tested and Reviewed: output at 34 W and 380 W loads (updated May 5, 2025) · Outdoor Life
Revision history
| 2026-11-10 | First version. |