The short answer
Compare keeping a working fridge with the full net replacement outlay and future electricity. Annual savings equal the compatible old-minus-new annual kWh multiplied by your tariff. Divide the net outlay by positive annual savings for simple payback, then check the chosen period’s totals separately.
Keeping a working fridge is a real alternative
If the current appliance works, keeping it costs its future electricity and any other costs you choose to assess. Its original purchase price is already paid; do not charge it again to make replacement look better.
If the fridge has failed and must be replaced, compare the two new purchase options instead. Their price difference and energy difference answer a different question.
ENERGY STAR’s US replacement/removal calculator uses its own assumptions and explains that actual savings vary. Our calculation uses the consumption and costs you supply.
Separate a documented candidate from an assumed baseline
For a traceable example, the ENERGY STAR record for Whirlpool WRT549SZD*, ID 2218984, supplies 378 kWh/year. It describes a specific 19.3 cubic-foot top-freezer configuration. This is a registry example, not a current buying recommendation.
Assume the working fridge uses 700 kWh/year. That is an illustrative baseline, not a measurement or an estimate assigned from the appliance’s age. For your own comparison, use a compatible old label or measure a representative kWh sample.
Also assume $0.20/kWh, a $600 purchase, $40 installation, $20 collection and a $50 credit. All those prices and the credit are illustrative for this example; a real calculation should use confirmed quotes and eligibility.
Calculate savings and the net outlay
| Quantity | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Annual energy reduction | 700 − 378 | 322 kWh |
| Annual electricity savings | 322 × $0.20 | $64.40 |
| Net upfront cost | $600 + $40 + $20 − $50 | $610.00 |
| Simple electricity-savings payback | $610 ÷ $64.40 | About 9.5 years |
Keeping costs $140.00/year in electricity. The candidate figure costs $75.60/year at the same illustrative rate.
If there is no confirmed credit, set it to zero: the net outlay becomes $660 and payback about 10.2 years. The calculator does not discover rebates or promise eligibility.
Compare the period you care about
A payback result can hide the cost difference over a shorter period:
| Chosen period | Keeping: electricity | Replacing: net outlay + electricity | Replacing compared with keeping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five years | $700.00 | $988.00 | $288.00 more |
| Ten years | $1,400.00 | $1,366.00 | $34.00 less |
These totals assume constant consumption and tariff, and that both options remain usable for the period. Repairs, failure, financing and environmental impacts are excluded. Ten years is a scenario choice, not a life-expectancy forecast.
At $0.15/kWh, the annual saving falls to $48.30 and simple payback becomes about 12.6 years. At $0.30, savings rise to $96.60 and payback falls to about 6.3 years. Neither price is a tariff forecast.
Check capacity and what happens to the old unit
A smaller fridge can consume less while failing to meet the same household need. Compare usable capacity, configuration, source period and operating conditions before interpreting a lower annual figure as a like-for-like improvement.
For context, another US registry record, GE model family GTE19JSN****, ID 2350114, declares 379 kWh/year for a 19.2 cubic-foot top-freezer configuration without an ice maker. The retrieved registry export is dated 16 August 2026. Confirm the complete model suffix, configuration and a local purchase quote; a model-family record does not establish today’s stock.
The 379 and 378 kWh declarations differ by only 1 kWh/year, or $0.20/year at the illustrative rate. Their capacities and configurations are not identical, so this is context rather than a buying ranking. A small declared energy difference should be kept in proportion to price, usable space and the features you need.
If the GE figure replaces the illustrative 700 kWh baseline, annual electricity savings are 321 × $0.20 = $64.20. Keeping the same illustrative $610 net outlay gives about 9.5 years of simple payback. Retaining a real baseline matters far more than rounding a candidate’s annual energy by 1 kWh.
If you keep running the old unit as a second fridge, its consumption remains. In this example, the two running together total 1,078 kWh/year, or $215.60 at $0.20/kWh. That is $75.60 more than keeping the original alone.
ENERGY STAR lists US recycling routes through retailers, utilities, local services and recyclers. Confirm local collection costs and any actual credit.
Stress-test the decision
Load the example below into replacement payback, then replace the illustrative baseline and prices. The scenarios tool helps you compare different chosen tariffs and consumption assumptions.
Use the household planner if retaining an extra fridge is part of the plan. Read the payback method and keep the source, net costs and chosen period with a saved or printed result.
The documented examples collection links the GE source and a USD running-cost example. Manufacturer or registry declarations and your own measured baseline should retain their separate test conditions.