Kitchen · West
Cost to run a chest freezer in Oregon
At Oregon’s average residential rate of 15.92¢ per kWh, a chest freezer drawing 200W for 24 hours a day, at a 30% duty cycle, costs about $6.98 per 30.44 use days. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Chest Freezer electricity cost calculator
Use watts and running time, or enter energy from a label, meter or completed load. Your inputs stay on this device.
Enter a number within each field’s limits to calculate your cost.
Your estimated energy cost
526 kWh across 365 use days per year
Power mode includes your selected duty cycle. The monthly figure assumes 30.44 use days; the annual total uses your selected use days. These are estimates at the entered rate.
Energy charges only. Fixed utility fees, purchase, installation and maintenance are excluded. See the calculation method and sources.
Why the cost differs in Oregon
Oregon has the 23rd cheapest residential electricity of the 50 US states and Washington, DC we track, at 15.92¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.16¢. That is -12.3% compared with the national figure. Oregon's Columbia River hydroelectric generation keeps rates low, with drought years the main risk to that position since low reservoirs force replacement power purchases. Retail service is largely regulated. The climate is unusually mild by national standards: cooling load west of the Cascades is genuinely small, though rising summer extremes are changing that.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to a saving of $11.77 a year against what the same chest freezer would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $248 a year; in Nevada it would cost $66.86. That spread of $181 is entirely down to location.
Reducing use by 100 kWh would save $15.92 in energy charges at Oregon's average rate, compared with $18.16 at the US average. Whether a replacement appliance pays for itself also depends on its purchase price and the energy it actually saves.
Use the energy and delivery price that applies to your own utility plan in Oregon. If your plan has time-of-use prices, calculate each period separately or use a rate weighted by the electricity used in each period. Fixed monthly fees are outside this appliance energy-cost estimate.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon this page | 15.92¢ | $6.98 | $83.68 |
| US average | 18.16¢ | $7.96 | $95.45 |
| Nevada cheapest state | 12.72¢ | $5.58 | $66.86 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 47.18¢ | $20.68 | $248 |
Oregon electricity rate trend
Rates in Oregon have moved from 16.04¢ to 15.92¢ per kWh between September 2025 and August 2026. The national residential average changed +3.4% from the same month a year earlier.
2025-09 to 2026-08 · cents per kWh
About running a chest freezer
Chest freezers are more efficient than upright models because cold air does not spill out when opened. A garage freezer in an unheated space works harder in summer and easier in winter.
How we worked this out
The arithmetic is simple and we would rather show it than hide it. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use and by the duty cycle to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate:
200W ÷ 1000 × 24h × 30% = 1.440 kWh/day × 15.92¢ = $0.229 per day
One honest caveat: Oregon’s figure is a state average published by the EIA. Your own utility’s tariff, any time-of-use pricing, fixed monthly service charges and local taxes all shift the real number. Put your actual per-kWh rate into the calculator above for a figure that reflects your bill.
How to estimate your chest freezer electricity use
A chest freezer stays plugged in around the clock, but the compressor cycles. Annual kWh on the EnergyGuide label or energy measured over several representative days gives a more useful starting point than assuming continuous nameplate draw.
The default compressor watts and duty are illustrative. Do not apply a duty-cycle reduction to EnergyGuide annual energy or an already averaged watt measurement.
- Multiply EnergyGuide annual kWh by your rate in dollars per kWh. An illustrative 300 kWh/year at $0.20/kWh costs $60/year under the label assumptions.
- To use annual kWh in the watts calculator, multiply it by 1000 and divide by 8760. Enter that average power with 24 hours/day, 100% duty and 365 annual-use days.
- Garage temperature, thermostat setting, door opening and condition can change actual use. A short reading taken only while the compressor runs is not a daily average.
- If the unit is switched off for part of the year, estimate energy for its actual operating period; startup cooling may differ from steady operation.
Calculation and data sources
Daily kWh = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × duty cycle ÷ 100. Multiply kWh by your rate in dollars per kWh to get cost. The wattage, hours and duty cycle above are editable example assumptions, not EIA measurements of this appliance.
The US and state average prices come from the EIA for August 2026. A state average is a starting point; your bill is the better source for your tariff.
Questions about chest freezer running costs
How much electricity does a chest freezer use?
In this example, 200 watts at a 30% duty cycle uses 0.060 kWh per scheduled hour. At 24.00 hours per day, that is 1.440 kWh per use day. Your model and operating conditions can differ.
How much does it cost to run a chest freezer for an hour?
The default example costs $0.010 per scheduled hour at the Oregon average of 15.92¢/kWh for August 2026. This includes the selected duty cycle. Enter your watts, duty cycle and electricity price for your own estimate.
Does the annual cost assume I use it every day?
The reference tables use 365 days at the stated daily hours; monthly figures use 30.44 days. These are comparison scenarios, not forecasts. For a heater used on 90 days, enter 90 use days per year in the calculator.
Why does electricity running cost vary by state?
For August 2026, the EIA state averages range from 12.72¢/kWh in Nevada to 47.18¢/kWh in Hawaii. Equal electricity use costs more at a higher rate. Your utility tariff can differ from the state average.
Does a chest freezer use its rated watts for 24 hours?
Usually its compressor cycles, so rated running power is not an all-day average. Use annual label kWh, representative measured energy, or an explicit cycling estimate.
How much does a freezer with 300 kWh/year cost?
Multiply 300 by your price in dollars per kWh. At an illustrative $0.20/kWh the estimate is $60/year under the label use assumptions.
Should I set duty cycle below 100% for EnergyGuide data?
No. Annual energy already reflects the test operating pattern. Convert to average watts if needed, and use 100% duty so cycling is not counted twice.