Homeowner Cost Lab
Refrigerator decision tool

Refrigerator repair vs. replace calculator

Compare the repair quote with an installed replacement over the same period. Use your electricity rate and the annual kWh figures for the refrigerator you own and the model you are considering.

Your quotes and energy figures

Every price, energy figure, and time period comes from you.

Runs in this browser
Switching currency changes display only; it does not convert your entries.
Use the amount for a written diagnosis and scope.
Include delivery, installation, removal, and only confirmed rebates or credits.
Use a measured or documented figure. A U.S. estimate is available from ENERGY STAR Flip Your Fridge.
For a specific model, check its EnergyGuide label and compare a similar size and configuration.
Enter your bill rate in the selected currency, such as 0.16 for 16 cents.
Use the same planning period for both choices; this does not predict appliance life.
No default prices, age cutoffs, or repair rules.

Formula
Repair path = repair quote + current annual energy cost × years
Replace path = installed price + replacement annual energy cost × years

What the calculator compares

The tool adds the repair quote to the current refrigerator’s estimated electricity cost over your chosen period. It compares that with the installed replacement price plus the replacement model’s estimated electricity cost over the same period. The calculation runs on this page; it does not send your entries to a pricing service.

The comparison is specific to the numbers you enter. For a particular new refrigerator, use the annual kWh figure on its EnergyGuide label. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Consumer Guide to Kitchen Appliances explains that the label helps compare energy use among similar products and estimate annual operating costs.

Get inputs that fit the decision

  • Repair: ask what fault was diagnosed, which parts and labor are included, and what would cost extra. Enter the written quote for that scope. If you have multiple estimates, use the quote comparison worksheet to note scope differences.
  • Replacement: compare a model with a similar capacity and configuration. Include delivery, installation, old-unit removal, and other costs you will actually pay. Subtract a rebate only after confirming eligibility.
  • Current energy use: use a measured figure or the ENERGY STAR estimate for an older U.S. refrigerator. That estimate is model-based, not a meter reading; its result depends on inputs such as approximate model year, style, capacity, and electricity rate.
  • Electricity rate: use the rate from your utility bill. If your bill separates fixed charges from usage charges, use the per-kWh charge for this estimate and keep the same currency throughout.
  • Time period: choose a planning window that is useful to your household. It is a comparison horizon, not a service-life forecast.

A hypothetical example

Suppose a repair quote is $400, an installed replacement costs $1,400, the current refrigerator uses 1,200 kWh a year, the replacement model uses 450 kWh a year, the electricity rate is $0.15 per kWh, and the comparison period is five years.

  • Repair path: $400 + (1,200 × $0.15 × 5) = $1,300.
  • Replace path: $1,400 + (450 × $0.15 × 5) = $1,737.50.

With only those invented inputs, the repair path is lower by $437.50 over five years. These are not typical prices or energy figures; use your own numbers. Change the period, quotes, rate, or model and the comparison can change.

Important limits

This simple total does not discount future dollars or estimate the chance that a repair fails. It assumes the repaired refrigerator continues working throughout the selected period. It also leaves out food loss, inconvenience, warranty differences, disposal deposits, financing, future energy-rate changes, taxes not included in your installed quote, and the cost of a later replacement. It does not diagnose a fault or say whether either option is safe.

If this is an extra refrigerator that your household may no longer need, first compare removing it with buying a replacement. That choice is different from replacing a main refrigerator; our old refrigerator decision guide covers that distinction and how to get energy estimates.

For other equipment, use the broader repair-or-replace calculator. Read the calculation method and disclaimer before relying on an estimate. Sources checked October 1, 2026. Example values are invented solely to illustrate the arithmetic.