How many watts does a mini fridge use?

A mini fridge typically draws 50–100 running watts, with a startup surge around 200–400 W. Over a day it uses roughly 200–600 Wh because it cycles. A compact 12V camping fridge is even lower at 30–45 W. Both are small enough to run off a modest power station for hours.

How many watts does a refrigerator use per day?

Roughly 1,000–2,000 watt-hours (1–2 kWh) per day for a modern full-size fridge, and about 200–600 Wh for a mini fridge. The exact figure depends on size, efficiency, ambient temperature, and how often the door opens. Check the yellow EnergyGuide label for your model's annual kWh and divide by 365 for a daily estimate.

What size power station do I need to run a refrigerator?

For a full-size fridge, you need a power station that handles both the 100–250 W running draw and the 700–1,200 W startup surge — so look for at least 600 W continuous (1,200 W+ surge) and 1,000 Wh+ of capacity for meaningful runtime. A 1 kWh unit runs a cycling fridge roughly 7–10 hours. A mini fridge needs far less — even a 300 W / 256 Wh unit covers it for a few hours.

Why is the surge wattage so much higher than running watts?

A refrigerator's compressor is an electric motor, and motors draw a large inrush of current the instant they start — typically 2–4× their running wattage. A fridge that runs at 150 W can spike past 900 W for a fraction of a second. Your power station or generator must tolerate that surge or it will trip, even though the steady draw is small.

How much does it cost to run a refrigerator?

At the U.S. average of about $0.17 per kWh, a full-size fridge using ~1.5 kWh/day costs roughly $0.25 per day, about $7–8 per month, or $90–95 per year. Older or larger units can run noticeably higher; an ENERGY STAR model is lower.

How Many Watts Does a Refrigerator Use? Running Watts, Surge & Real Daily Cost (2026)

Q: How many watts does a refrigerator use?

A full-size refrigerator draws 100–250 running watts while the compressor is on, and surges to roughly 700–1,200 W for a second or two when it starts. Because the compressor cycles on and off, real-world consumption averages out far lower — the U.S. Department of Energy suggests dividing plugged-in hours by three to estimate true running time, which works out to about 1–2 kWh per day for a modern ENERGY STAR unit.

TL;DR · 30 seconds

A full-size fridge pulls 100–250 running watts, but surges to 700–1,200 W when the compressor kicks on. Because it cycles on and off, real use is only ~1–2 kWh per day. The surge — not the running watts — is what decides the power station or generator you need.

Size my power station → Skip to the watts chart ↓

The short answer

A modern full-size refrigerator uses 100–250 watts while its compressor is running. But that number alone is misleading for two reasons, and both matter if you’re sizing backup power:

It surges on startup. The compressor is a motor, and motors pull a big inrush of current the moment they start — 700–1,200 W for a second or two on a typical fridge.
It cycles. The compressor isn’t on continuously. Over a full day it’s actually running maybe a third of the time, so real consumption is ~1–2 kWh/day, not 250 W × 24 h.

Refrigerator wattage by type

Running watts are steady-state draw; surge watts are the brief startup spike. Daily use already accounts for cycling. Figures cross-reference U.S. DOE guidance and Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension appliance data.

Fridge type	Running W	Surge W	Daily use
Full-size (18–25 cu ft)	150–250	800–1,200	1.3–2.0 kWh
Mid-size (14–18 cu ft)	100–200	700–1,000	1.0–1.5 kWh
ENERGY STAR full-size	80–150	600–900	0.9–1.3 kWh
Mini fridge (3–4.5 cu ft)	50–100	200–400	0.2–0.6 kWh
12V camping fridge	30–45	60–90	0.2–0.4 kWh
Chest freezer	100–200	600–1,000	1.0–1.8 kWh

For the full picture across every household appliance — AC units, microwaves, well pumps, space heaters — see our appliance wattage chart for 50+ devices.

Find your fridge’s exact wattage

Two reliable ways to get your specific model’s number instead of a range:

The yellow EnergyGuide label gives your fridge’s estimated annual kWh. Divide by 365 for daily kWh, then by 24 for an average continuous watt figure. A 547 kWh/year fridge ≈ 1.5 kWh/day ≈ 62 W average (running watts are higher because it cycles).
The nameplate or a plug-in meter. The spec plate lists volts and amps — multiply them for running watts (120 V × 1.5 A = 180 W). A plug-in energy monitor reads real draw over time, the most accurate option.

The number that sizes your backup power isn’t the 150 watts your fridge runs at — it’s the ~900 watts it demands for one second when the compressor starts.

What size power station or generator do you need?

This is where the surge matters. Your unit has to survive the startup spike, not just the running draw. Rules of thumb:

Full-size fridge: at least 600 W continuous / 1,200 W surge, and 1,000 Wh+ capacity for useful runtime. A 1 kWh LFP station runs a cycling full-size fridge roughly 7–10 hours.
Mini fridge: much easier — 300 W continuous handles the running load and surge, and even 256 Wh keeps it cold for a few hours.

Power station capacity	Full-size fridge	Mini fridge
256 Wh (e.g. ALLWEI 300W)	— (surge too high)	~3–4 h
1,024 Wh (e.g. EcoFlow Delta 2)	~7–8 h	~14 h
2,048 Wh (e.g. Bluetti AC200L)	~14–16 h	~30 h

Plug your own appliances into our sizing calculator to get an exact recommendation, including the surge headroom most people forget.

★ Editor's Pick · Best for backing up a full-size fridge #1

EcoFlow ECOFLOW-DELTA-2

EcoFlow

EcoFlow DELTA 2

4.7 (4,863)

$429 USD · Free Prime shipping

Capacity 1,024Wh

AC Output 1,800W

Weight 27lb

Cycles 3,000

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+ Pros

· X-Stream wall recharge in 50 minutes — fastest 1 kWh class on the market

· 27 lb is class-leading for a 1 kWh LFP unit — 10 lb lighter than the Bluetti AC180

· 4,800+ reviews at 4.7 stars and Amazon 'Overall Pick' badge — the most validated unit in this tier

· 100W USB-C PD on the chassis itself runs a 16-inch MacBook Pro at peak charge speed

· Modular expansion to 3 kWh keeps the buy future-proof

− Cons

· $429 is the deal price; base list is $699 — expect creep back as the promotion rolls off

· 1,024 Wh fills the camping role but won't run a fridge for 24 hours straight

· App requires an EcoFlow account; a subset of buyers report sync issues on iOS

· Mixed long-term storage reports — a minority of users see charge drift if left below 30% for months

What it costs to run

At the U.S. average of about $0.17 per kWh, a full-size fridge using ~1.5 kWh/day costs:

Per day: ~$0.25
Per month: ~$7–8
Per year: ~$90–95

A mini fridge runs a fraction of that — roughly $15–35 per year. Older or oversized units cost more; an ENERGY STAR model trims the bill. To turn any appliance’s watts into a cost, see how to calculate watt-hours.

Bottom line

A refrigerator uses 100–250 running watts, surges to 700–1,200 W, and consumes ~1–2 kWh per day because it cycles. For backup, size for the surge and pick 1,000 Wh+ if you want to ride out a real outage with a full-size fridge — or a small LFP unit if it’s just a mini fridge. Run your exact numbers through the sizing calculator before you buy.