A $749 GE top-freezer and a $1,798 Whirlpool French door look like a $1,049 decision on the showroom floor. Run both through ten years of electricity and the usual repair odds, and the gap grows to roughly $1,900. For the purchase itself, Consumer Reports’ July 2026 buying guide puts new full-size fridges at $500 to $1,700 for top-freezers, $600 to $2,900 for bottom-freezers, $1,100 to $2,500 for side-by-sides and $1,000 to $5,000 for French doors, with built-ins running $6,000 to $20,000.
Those ranges answer the question on the price tag. They do not answer the one that matters to anyone keeping a refrigerator for a decade: which of these is cheapest to own? Below we take four models you can actually buy this fall, read their federal EnergyGuide labels, apply the Energy Information Administration’s 2027 electricity forecast, and add a fair allowance for the repair that ice makers and dispensers tend to bring.
Four real fridges, four very different price tags
We picked one model from each popular style and checked current prices in early November 2026. Whirlpool shows up three times on purpose: it is the brand most people price-check, and its labels make clean comparisons.
| Model | Style and size | Price we found | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| GE GTS18HGNRWW | Top-freezer, 17.5 cu ft, 28 in wide | $749 (list $999) | Lowe’s, GE Appliances |
| Whirlpool WRS325SDHZ | Side-by-side, 24.6 cu ft, through-door ice and water | $1,448 (MSRP about $1,833) | AJ Madison |
| Whirlpool WRFF3136SZ | French door, 30.5 cu ft, internal ice maker | $1,798 (from $2,699) | AJ Madison, P.C. Richard |
| Whirlpool WRFC2036RV | Counter-depth French door, 20 cu ft | $2,448 (MSRP $2,721) | AJ Madison |
Notice the last row. The counter-depth Whirlpool costs $650 more than the full-depth French door yet holds about ten fewer cubic feet. You are paying for a flush look against the cabinets, not for storage, which is a fine choice as long as you make it on purpose.
Ten years of electricity, read off the yellow label
Every new refrigerator sold in the US carries a yellow EnergyGuide label with its rated annual use in kilowatt-hours. The dollar figure printed beside it is less useful, because it assumes an old national rate of 12 to 14 cents per kWh. The EIA’s October 2026 Short-Term Energy Outlook puts the average residential price at 18.2 cents this year and 18.7 cents in 2027, up from 16.5 cents in 2024.
At 18.7 cents, each style’s label works out like this:
- 18 cu ft top-freezer: Whirlpool’s comparable WRT318FZDW is rated 411 kWh a year, or about $77. That is the figure we use for the GE.
- 20 cu ft counter-depth French door (WRFC2036R): 563 kWh, about $105 a year.
- 30.5 cu ft French door (WRFF3136SZ): 645 kWh, about $121 a year.
- 24.6 cu ft side-by-side with door dispenser (WRS325SDH): 702 kWh, about $131 a year.
The pattern matches what ENERGY STAR tells shoppers: top-freezers use the least energy, and the most efficient models tend to fall between 16 and 20 cubic feet. The side-by-side costs about $54 a year more to run than the top-freezer. Small per month, but over ten years that is more than $500, and the EIA expects rates to keep rising about 2% in 2027, so our flat-rate math is, if anything, generous to the bigger models.
One more wrinkle: ENERGY STAR certification requires a fridge to use at least 10% less energy than the federal minimum, but plenty of popular models skip it. The WRS325SDHZ and the 18 cu ft Whirlpool top-freezers we checked are not certified; the WRFF3136SZ is. If you want to compare your own electric rate, our guide to monthly electricity costs breaks rates down by state.
Ice makers: the convenience that sends the repair truck
Consumer Reports describes top-freezers as “less expensive and more reliable than other types,” and its member surveys keep pointing at the same culprits for problems: ice makers and through-the-door dispensers. Repair technicians say the same thing in plainer language. A Mr. Appliance franchise owner told Boston 25 News that water and ice systems are his number one service call, with French door gaskets close behind.
“If your chief concern is reliability, top freezers are really the best way to go. There’s fewer moving parts.”
Dan Wroclawski, Consumer Reports, speaking to Boston 25 News
That is why our ownership math adds one mid-life repair to every model with an ice maker or more complex door design. Our refrigerator repair cost guide puts most common repairs at $200 to $650, so we use the $425 midpoint. Some owners will never call a technician; some will call twice. One repair is a reasonable planning assumption, not a prediction.
The ownership math, side by side
Consumer Reports expects a refrigerator to last about ten years, so that is our horizon. The table below is an example built from the prices and labels above, at a flat 18.7 cents per kWh. Delivery, tax and haul-away are left out because they vary by store and state.
| 10-year example | Purchase | Electricity | Repair allowance | Total | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GE 17.5 cu ft top-freezer | $749 | $769 | $0 | $1,518 | $152 |
| Whirlpool side-by-side | $1,448 | $1,313 | $425 | $3,186 | $319 |
| Whirlpool 30.5 cu ft French door | $1,798 | $1,206 | $425 | $3,429 | $343 |
| Whirlpool counter-depth French door | $2,448 | $1,053 | $425 | $3,926 | $393 |
Three readings stand out. First, the cheapest fridge to buy is also the cheapest to run, so the top-freezer’s advantage roughly doubles over its life. Second, electricity on a large side-by-side nearly matches its purchase price. Third, the 30.5 cu ft French door holds about 75% more food than the top-freezer for roughly $190 a year more, which is a fair trade for a family of five and a poor one for a couple who eat out.
Per cubic foot of storage, the gap narrows sharply. Spread over its capacity, the top-freezer costs about $8.70 per cubic foot per year to own, the big French door about $11.20, the side-by-side about $13 and the counter-depth model nearly $20. If capacity is the job, the full-depth French door is the value pick among the larger styles.
Tariffs, rebates and the price you will see in 2027
Refrigerators have been on the federal steel-tariff list since June 23, 2025, when a Federal Register notice extended 50% duties to the steel content of refrigerator-freezers, freezers and other appliances. Whirlpool executives have said steel is often about half an appliance’s weight. On April 6, 2026, according to trade coverage at ApplianceNews, the 50% rate began applying to the full customs value of covered steel and aluminum goods.
Shelf prices have not followed in a straight line. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ major-appliance price index was 4.1% lower in July 2026 than a year earlier, after a brief spring jump. Heavy discounting explains much of it: Home Depot sold the WRS325SDHZ side-by-side for $899 during Black Friday week 2025, against a $1,700 list price, and Whirlpool is running mail-in rebates of up to $1,100 on qualifying models through December 9, 2026. No manufacturer has announced 2027 list prices, so treat today’s sale prices as the best guide for next year’s budget.
Costs that show up on delivery day
The price on the tag is rarely the price on the receipt. Home Depot’s delivery checklist requires a water connection kit for models with ice or water, a water valve within six feet of the hookup and a grounded three-prong outlet. On last year’s $899 Whirlpool deal, free installation still required a $17.98 braided water line. Measure the door openings too: a 36-inch French door that will not fit through a 32-inch doorway becomes a return, a restocking conversation or a carpenter’s bill.
Ask about haul-away before checkout. Major retailers offer it, but fees and conditions vary by store and region. If your retailer will not take the old unit, a single-item junk removal pickup is the fallback, and some utilities run free refrigerator recycling programs worth checking first.
When keeping your old fridge is the expensive choice
ENERGY STAR estimates that a refrigerator more than 15 years old can cost about $95 a year to run, and that older units use about 20% more energy than a certified model. Its own math shows replacing one with a new ENERGY STAR fridge saves about $150 over a 12-year life. That is real money but not a reason on its own to scrap a working fridge; the replacement pays for itself only if the old one is failing anyway.
The garage fridge is the exception. An aging spare refrigerator running in summer heat adds a second full refrigeration bill to the household. If it mostly holds drinks, unplugging it may save more than any new purchase. And if your current fridge is broken rather than just old, weigh the repair quote against a new unit’s ten-year cost: a $600 sealed-system repair on a 12-year-old side-by-side rarely makes sense when a $749 top-freezer costs less to own for the next decade.
Fridge questions the showroom tag leaves out
What is the price of a Whirlpool refrigerator in 2027?
Whirlpool models span roughly $700 to $2,500 at current sale prices. In November 2026 we found the WRS325SDHZ side-by-side at $1,448, the 30.5 cu ft WRFF3136SZ French door at $1,798 and the counter-depth WRFC2036RV at $2,448 at AJ Madison. Whirlpool has not announced 2027 list prices.
How much is a new fridge on Black Friday?
Discounts on popular models can reach 30% to 50% off list. During Black Friday week 2025, Home Depot sold Whirlpool’s WRS325SDHZ side-by-side for $899 against a $1,700 list price. Holiday sales and manufacturer rebates usually run from mid-November into December.
How long does a new refrigerator last?
Consumer Reports plans on about ten years, and ENERGY STAR’s savings math assumes a 12-year life. Models with ice makers and door dispensers tend to need repairs sooner than simpler top-freezers.
What size fridge uses the least electricity?
ENERGY STAR says the most efficient models are typically 16 to 20 cubic feet, and top-freezer designs use the least energy. Check the yellow EnergyGuide label for the rated kWh per year before you buy.
Is a counter-depth refrigerator worth the extra cost?
Only if the built-in look matters to you. Whirlpool’s 20 cu ft counter-depth French door costs about $650 more than its 30.5 cu ft full-depth model while holding about ten fewer cubic feet.
Pricing the rest of the kitchen
- Home improvement costs in 2027: the complete price guide
- Refrigerator repair costs by symptom
- Sub-Zero refrigerator prices by width and line
- What dishwasher installation costs
- Microwave prices, from countertop to drawer
- Washer and dryer cost per year of use
- Where the money goes in a kitchen remodel
A checklist for the showroom floor
- Photograph the yellow EnergyGuide label and multiply the kWh by your own rate, not the printed dollar figure.
- Ask yourself if you need an ice maker at all. If you do, budget for at least one repair over the fridge’s life.
- Compare cost per cubic foot, not just sticker price, especially on counter-depth models.
- Check the Whirlpool, GE or Samsung rebate page before paying; mail-in offers can be worth hundreds.
- Measure the space, every doorway on the delivery path and the distance to your water valve.
- Confirm haul-away, the water line kit and installation in writing at checkout.
Pricing method: prices were researched in November 2026 for 2027 planning and may change. Figures come from retailer listings (Lowe’s, AJ Madison, P.C. Richard, GE Appliances), federal EnergyGuide labels, the EIA Short-Term Energy Outlook, ENERGY STAR, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Consumer Reports. Ownership totals are hypothetical examples. See our disclaimer.
