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    Best Energy-Efficient Refrigerators

    These top-rated refrigerator models from GE, LG, Samsung, and Sub-Zero are good for your wallet and the planet

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    Person dispensing water from inside a GE fridge.
    We calculate the annual energy cost for every refrigerator that goes through our labs to help you shop for great-performing models that are energy- and cost-efficient.
    Photo: GE

    The appliances you buy have a big impact on your energy bills. They run so frequently (in the case of refrigerators, 24/7/365) that their energy costs get baked into your fixed expenses for years to come. The good news is that home appliances—and refrigerators in particular—have become much more efficient over the years, costing less to operate.

    “Newer refrigerators use much less energy than their predecessors,” says Breann Chai, who oversees CR’s refrigerator testing. “Federal standards are constantly updated to ensure that refrigerators of certain sizes use ever lower amounts of energy, and manufacturers introduce new technologies to meet those standards.”

    More on Energy Efficiency & Appliances

    But which are the most energy-efficient? Our tests show that top-freezer and bottom-freezer refrigerators usually cost less to run than side-by-side and French-door models.

    “Side-by-side models have a tall, thin freezer with a lot of external surface area that gets warm, and French-door bottom-freezers usually have energy-hungry add-ons, like an in-the-fridge icemaker and an anti-sweat heater,” Chai says.

    Of course, other factors matter, too, and energy usage varies from one model to the next. We calculate the annual energy cost for every refrigerator in our ratings using the national average electricity price at the time of testing. CR members can see these costs in the Ratings & Specs section of our ratings charts, and sort by energy efficiency.

    Below, members can also see reviews of the best energy-efficient refrigerators sorted by Overall Score. We chose models that earn high ratings for energy efficiency while also offering solid performance, reliability, and owner satisfaction. The refrigerators are made by GE, LG, Samsung, and Sub-Zero.

    For advice before you start shopping for a new refrigerator, anyone can check out our refrigerator buying guide.

    Best Energy-Efficient Refrigerators


    Daniel Wroclawski

    Dan Wroclawski is a home and appliances writer at Consumer Reports, covering products ranging from refrigerators and coffee makers to cutting-edge smart home devices. Before joining CR in 2017, he was an editor at USA Today’s Reviewed, and launched the site’s smart home section. In his spare time, you can find him tinkering with one of the over 70 connected devices in his house. Follow Dan on Facebook and X: @danwroc.