Sources and corrections

Where each number comes from and what we fixed along the way.

Sources

Electricity prices: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, tables 5.6.A and 5.6.B, average price of electricity to residential customers by state. Data through August 2026. The costs on this site use the year-to-date average, January to August 2026.
Energy use by model: ENERGY STAR certified product lists, downloaded from data.energystar.gov on November 11, 2026. The yearly kWh is the value each manufacturer reports from the federal test procedure.

"Typical" is the median model in each list. "Efficient" is the 10th percentile and "high use" is the 90th.
Refrigerators are split in two: full-size models and compact models. Wine and beverage coolers are left out.
Clothes dryers include electric models only.
Models listed more than once with the same brand and model number are counted once.
Only certified models are in these lists. Appliances that are not ENERGY STAR certified generally use more electricity than the figures here.

Test-procedure energy use assumes standard conditions. A refrigerator in a hot garage or a TV left on all day will use more.
State averages hide differences between utilities, rate plans and seasons.
The 10-year figures hold today's rate constant. Rates change.

Data last checked on November 11, 2026.