Fridge freezer energy ratings explained: what A to G actually costs you

Quick answer: An A-rated fridge freezer uses around 104 to 150 kWh a year, which costs £27 to £39 at the July to September 2026 cap rate of 26.11p/kWh. An F-rated model uses 300 to 400 kWh, or £78 to £104. Over 15 years, that gap adds up to somewhere between £770 and £980.

What changed on the fridge freezer energy label?

In 2021 the old A+++ to G scale was scrapped and reset to a plain A to G. The top of the old scale had become so crowded that the letters stopped meaning anything, so the new one was deliberately made harder. The Energy Saving Trust puts it bluntly: a product rated A under the old system could be rated F under the new one.

That’s why the fridge freezer you bought in 2018 with an A++ sticker now looks worse on paper than it did. It hasn’t got less efficient. The ruler changed. A modern F-rated fridge freezer can still use less electricity than the machine it replaces, because the whole scale shifted at once.

It also means A-rated models are genuinely rare. Currys’ July 2026 buying guide notes that most current fridge freezers sit between C and E, and that a D or E model can still be a sensible buy.

What does the kWh/annum figure mean?

Under the letter on every label is a number: estimated electricity use per year, in kWh. This is the figure to compare, because the letter grades efficiency relative to size. A huge American-style fridge can hold a better letter than a slim one and still burn more electricity.

The maths from there is simple. Multiply the kWh/annum figure by your unit rate. At the current cap rate of 26.11p/kWh, a 203 kWh model (the Bosch Serie 4 KGN392LDFG, per Currys, checked August 2026) costs 203 x £0.2611 = £53.00 a year. Two fridge freezers with the same letter can differ by £30 a year, so read the number, not the badge.

Why do fridge freezers matter so much?

Your fridge freezer is the only large appliance in the house that never switches off. An oven that costs 55p an hour but runs a couple of hours a week comes to around £57 a year; an F-rated fridge freezer quietly beats that just by being plugged in.

Take one of the most efficient models in Sust-it’s database (it ranks third), the A-rated Bosch KGN392LAF at 104 kWh a year. That’s 104 / 365 = 0.28 kWh a day, or about 7p. A mid-F model at 350 kWh is 25p a day. Neither sounds like much. But nothing else in your kitchen bills you every single day for 15 years. EnergyGuide’s comparison lands on similar day rates: roughly 10p for an A, 21p for a D and 39p for an F.

The fridge freezer is a 24/7 load, so small differences in kWh compound harder than for any other appliance. If yours is costing more than it should, our guide to cutting fridge freezer energy waste covers the free fixes: temperature settings, door seals, coil dust and placement.

How much does A vs F cost over 15 years?

Using the typical annual-consumption bands published by Household Money Saving (2026) and the 26.11p cap rate, here’s the full picture for a standard freestanding fridge freezer:

So the A vs F gap over a 15-year life is roughly £770 to £980 at today’s prices, and more if unit rates rise. Retailers tend to quote smaller numbers because they compare narrower gaps: Currys estimates around £380 lifetime savings for A over E. Both framings are right. The worst-to-best gap is nearly £1,200; the sensible-to-best gap is a few hundred pounds.

Should you replace a working fridge freezer?

Usually not on energy grounds alone. Swapping a C-rated model (say 200 kWh, £52 a year) for the 104 kWh Bosch saves about £25 a year. Against a £700-plus purchase, that’s nearly a 30-year payback. Keep it until it dies.

The case changes at the bottom of the scale. Replace an F or G model, or anything made before the mid-2000s, and the sums start to work: £40 to £80 a year back, plus a machine that holds temperature properly. When you do buy, an A or B model with a low kWh figure is the one purchase in this category where paying more upfront reliably comes back as lower bills.

Energy ratings work the same way across the big appliances. If you’re doing a full kitchen refit, our guides to washing machine energy ratings and the appliances quietly wasting electricity use the same maths, and our appliance running-costs roundup puts them all in one table.

FAQs

What is the best energy rating for a fridge freezer?

A is the best on the current scale, but A-rated models are scarce and carry a price premium. A B or C model with a low kWh/annum figure is often the better buy. Compare the kWh number for the size you actually need, not the letter alone.

How much electricity does a fridge freezer use per day?

Between about 0.28 kWh (7p) for the most efficient current A-rated models and around 1 kWh (26p) for a large or F-rated unit, at the July to September 2026 cap rate of 26.11p/kWh.

Is an old fridge freezer expensive to run?

Often, yes. Compressors lose efficiency and seals leak as they age, so a 15-year-old unit can cost double a new equivalent. Check its label figure, then compare against the table above. Our guide to how the Ofgem price cap works explains the unit rate behind these sums.