Just like a full-length fridge keeps your food in good condition and is a must to store perishables and groceries, a minifridge is usually the go-to fridge in offices, camps, and dorm rooms. You may also have a minifridge as an extra food storage option. But have you ever wondered how many watts does a mini fridge use?
You should! It’s a great question to ask if you’re thinking of switching to solar panels in the future. Minifridges are small, so you may think they don’t cost much, but you’ll be surprised. From understanding how many watts does a mini fridge use per day to estimating the power consumption of your mini fridge, you will also find tips and tricks to save electricity and power in this guide.
How Many Watts Does a Mini Fridge Use Per Day？
Typically, minifridges can use anywhere from 70W to 90W; for some older models, the Wattage can go up to 100W. This is the running Wattage; most mini fridges use 280W to 360W to start. Like most refrigerators, the starting Wattage is three times higher for minifridges.
The actual watts of a minifridge differ in the various cooling stages, and on average, a minifridge uses 28.5W, with 25.1W being the most common for most newer energy-star models. Hence, the overall Wattage that minifridges use lies between 12.1W and 53.7 based on tests conducted by Eco Cost Savings.
For a fridge rated at 100W power input, we will multiply the Wattage by the number of effective running hours. A fridge doesn’t run all day but turns on and off during the day. So, on average, a mini fridge runs around 8 hours per day.
KiloWatt-Hour = Wattage x Hours
= (100 x 8)/1000
= 800/1000
= 0.8kWh
This is your mini fridge’s daily energy consumption in kilowatts per hour. Simply multiply this value by the cost of electricity in your state to find the daily electrical cost of your mini fridge.
If the power cost is $0.12 per kWh in your region, then the daily cost of operating your mini fridge would be 0.8 kWh x $0.12 = $0.096 per day.
Estimate Your Mini Fridge Power Consumption
We’ve calculated how many watts does a minifridge use when rated at 100W. If you want to estimate the power consumption of your minifridge. You first need to find the Wattage your mini fridge uses. Look at the use manual or the small sticker on your minifridge. It should be somewhere on the walls with technical information. Typically, the sticker contains the volts and amps your mini fridge uses, so note them both down. You have to multiply the volts with the amps to get the Wattage if the Wattage isn’t listed.
You will get the starting wattage from the volts and amps, and a minifridge’s running wattage is usually ⅓ times the starting Wattage. For example, for a mini fridge with 280W (let’s take a very old model), the running Wattage could be around 93.3W.
After finding your Wattage, calculate the kilo-watts-hour to find how many watts a mini fridge uses daily. Simply multiply the running Wattage by hours a day, then divide by 1000 to get kilo-watts-hour.
Daily Power Consumption in kWh = (93.3 x 24)
= (2239.2Wh)/1000
= 2.2392kWh
Multiply this value by the cost to get the cost per day, year, or month. At $0.10 cost, the power per day comes at $0.2239, $6.72 per month, and $81.73 per year.
How to Save Energy with Your Mini Fridge?
Mini fridges are usually 3 cubic feet, while full-length fridges are around 23 cubic feet - a steep size difference. This smaller size accounts for why they consume less electricity and have fewer full-length fridge parts like ice and water dispensers.
While minifridges take less electricity than full-length fridges, they still consume power, and the cost can build up over the years. Some tips you should follow to save energy with your mini fridge:
Don’t Open the Fridge Door Too Frequently:
When you frequently keep the fridge door open, you let out the cool air and let in the hot air. So, the mini fridge’s compressor has to lower the temperature again, which requires power. So, you’re increasing the effective running time of your mini fridge. Moreover, always properly close the mini fridge door. Otherwise, it will lead to reduced cooling and higher power consumption.
Get a New Energy-Star Mini Fridge:
Is your mini fridge really old, like before your time or even your parents’ time? Well, it’s time for an upgrade. Consider switching to newer Energy-Star models. These energy-efficient models help reduce your mini fridge's power consumption and are environment-friendly fridges. Look for the ENERGY-STAR symbol when buying any appliance.
Choose a Heat-Free Location for Your Fridge:
In homes, it’s usually a norm to place fridges or mini fridges in the kitchen or the balcony. However, both of these places are heat zones, especially if the outside temperature is high.
When a mini fridge is placed in a hot environment, it has to work harder to cool down the food inside. So, it will work continuously and use more power and Wattage, which means a higher bill for you. Instead, place your mini fridge in a cooler and airflow areas like the living room or where the AC is turned on regularly.
Keep Your Fridge Clean:
Keeping the coils of your mini fridge clean and dust-free is important. When it’s dirty and clogged, the condenser has to use more energy, leading to more power consumption. Moreover, after prolonged use, ice builds up on the back wall of the mini-fridge. While it may not seem like a big issue, it forces the compressor to work more, so you should turn off your fridge and clean off this ice regularly.
Using a Generator to Run Your Mini Fridge
Do you live in a region prone to power outages? Due to these power outages, you haven’t been able to store food effectively and seem to run low on food supplies. If so, you should use a portable generator to run your mini fridge.
Even if you don’t experience frequent power outages, generators with minifridges are a great idea if you go camping in the wilderness. Furthermore, generators are a great choice if you live in remote locations where the grid is unreliable and want a portable backup power source that offers flexibility.
A practical and well-built solar generator like the BLUETTI AC200MAX Power Station will make your life much easier. Compact and portable like other BLUETTI solar generators, the AC200MAX Power Station is great for powering a mini fridge during an outage.
It offers a flexible power consumption from 2048Wh to 8192Wh, and a mini fridge usually has a power consumption of 25.1Wh per hour and 603Wh per day. So, with AC200MAX, you can power your minifridge for emergency days with leftover power to spare. Furthermore, it has multiple AC, DC, and USB outlets to connect multiple devices simultaneously.
The BLUETTI AC200MAX Power Station + 3*PV200 Solar Panel combo kit is great for setting up a solar panel system and a generator to run your mini fridge. 3 PV200 solar panels can easily power an AC200MAX generator, and this generator kit can run a 90-watt fridge for 17 to 18 hours.
FAQs about the Mini Fridge
Q. Are Mini Fridges Energy-Efficient?
Compared to full-size fridges, minifridges use a lot less energy. You can save energy more with Energy Star label appliances. However, minifridges are less efficient when considering energy consumption per cubic foot, and the energy consumption increases as storage space increases.
Q. Does a mini fridge use a lot of electricity?
On average, it takes less electricity to run a mini fridge than a full-size fridge. Typically, the power consumption of a mini fridge is around 233-310kWh, while a full-size fridge can consume between 404-613 kWh.
Q. Are minifridges bad for electricity bills?
Typically, a mini fridge consumes around 25kWh per month. But, if you don’t take care of energy-saving tips like keeping the door properly closed or they have in your kitchen, it can take a huge chunk of your electricity bill.
Final Thoughts
Now, you know how many watts does a minifridge use, and what to look for to calculate an estimate. Minifridges are essential appliances like fridges, especially in hospitals, dorms, and offices. Understanding how much they add to your power bill is really important.
If your minifridge significantly uplifts your electricity bill, it’s time to evaluate your habits and strategy. Following tips to save energy, keep your minifridge’s coils clean, prevent any ice buildup, etc.
Moreover, using a portable generator is a great option to reduce grid dependence and have a backup plan in case of an emergency power outage. You can combine a solar generator with a high-quality solar panel set to store solar energy and save on electrical costs. Happy energy-saving!
