Running cost comes down to wattage, hours and your rate. In Wisconsin the rate is 19.74 cents per kWh, which is 7.0 percent above the national average. Here is what that means for a refrigerator.
A refrigerator drawing 150 W costs $0.03 per hour in Wisconsin. Run 8 hours a day that is $0.24 daily, $7.11 a month and $86.46 a year, which is $5.69 more than the same appliance at the US average rate.
Refrigerator cost at Wisconsin rates
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Planning estimate. The rate box is prefilled with a regional average; the figure on your own bill is the one that matters. Power is draw while running, not while switched on.
Cost by hours used per day in Wisconsin
| Hours/day | Energy | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h | 0.15 kWh | $0.03 | $0.89 |
| 2 h | 0.30 kWh | $0.06 | $1.78 |
| 4 h | 0.60 kWh | $0.12 | $3.55 |
| 6 h | 0.90 kWh | $0.18 | $5.33 |
| 8 h | 1.20 kWh | $0.24 | $7.11 |
| 12 h | 1.80 kWh | $0.36 | $10.66 |
| 24 h | 3.60 kWh | $0.71 | $21.32 |
Cost by wattage at 19.74 cents
| Rated power | Per hour | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 W | $0.02 | $0.16 | $4.74 |
| 120 W | $0.02 | $0.19 | $5.69 |
| 150 W | $0.03 | $0.24 | $7.11 |
| 200 W | $0.04 | $0.32 | $9.48 |
| 250 W | $0.05 | $0.39 | $11.84 |
Find the row matching the nameplate on your own unit. Within a single appliance category the spread is often wider than the difference between categories, so the label is worth reading.
What this means in Wisconsin
This appliance runs on much the same schedule regardless of climate, so the figure above is a reasonable year-round estimate for Wisconsin. What changes it is your own usage pattern rather than the weather.
Why Wisconsin pays what it does
Wisconsin is a regulated market, so your utility is the only supplier and the rate is set through the state commission rather than by competition. Pricing tends to be steadier than in deregulated states, and there is no switching decision available. The levers are all on your side of the meter.
At 19.74 cents, Wisconsin ranks 35 of 51 from cheapest to most expensive. The Midwest regional average is 16.55 cents. Roughly half of any residential bill is transmission and distribution rather than generation, which is why rates keep climbing even when fuel prices fall.
How this compares across the country
The same refrigerator on the same schedule, in the cheapest and dearest states:
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 12.35¢ | $4.45 | $54.09 |
| Utah | 12.96¢ | $4.67 | $56.76 |
| Wisconsin | 19.74¢ | $7.11 | $86.46 |
| California | 33.25¢ | $11.97 | $146 |
| Hawaii | 52.00¢ | $18.72 | $228 |
Lowering the number in Wisconsin
- Vacuum the condenser coils yearly. Dust means heat cannot escape, so cycles run longer.
- Check the door seal with a dollar bill. If it slides out without resistance, the compressor is making up the difference all day.
- Set 37 to 40 degrees, freezer at 0. Colder than that is money spent on nothing.
- Move it out of a hot garage if you can. Ambient heat drives longer cycles.
- Retire a pre-2001 second fridge. Many utilities pay 50 to 100 dollars to haul it away.
Offsetting it with solar in Wisconsin
This load uses about 1.20 kWh a day. Covering that would take roughly 1 standard 400 W panels at typical sun hours, an array of about 0.40 kW. Because it offsets electricity worth 19.74 cents rather than the national 18.44 cents, the same array is worth more here than the national payback figures suggest.
A fridge is the classic off-grid load because it runs day and night. Panels cover the daytime cycles and the battery has to carry every night without exception. Full sizing, including battery and inverter requirements, is on the solar sizing page for this appliance.