How Many Watts Does a Freezer Use? Chest vs Upright, kWh and Cost
By Seamless Home Team, Home services operations · October 23, 2026 · Updated October 23, 2026
Quick answer
A modern freezer averages roughly 22 to 55 watts over a day. That comes from the annual energy figure on the EnergyGuide label: divide kWh per year by 8,760 hours. In the ENERGY STAR certified freezer list, a GE 10.6 cubic foot chest freezer is rated at 218 kWh a year, about 25 watts on average and 0.6 kWh a day, while a GE 17.3 cubic foot frost-free upright is rated at 441 kWh a year, about 50 watts and 1.2 kWh a day. ENERGY STAR puts a typical certified chest freezer at about 215 kWh and $30 a year, and a typical certified upright at about 395 kWh and $60 a year. The compressor draws more than the average while it runs and nothing between cycles, so the average is the number to use for running cost and battery runtime.
A freezer runs all day and all night, so it is easy to assume it is a big load. It isn't. Its compressor switches on, pulls the cabinet back down to temperature, and switches off. Averaged over a day, a modern freezer uses less power than many people expect, and the yellow EnergyGuide label tells you exactly how much.
Average watts from the label
The EnergyGuide label lists estimated kWh per year. Divide by 8,760, the hours in a year, and you have the freezer's average draw in watts. Divide by 365 instead for kWh per day.
These figures are from the ENERGY STAR certified residential freezers list, read in October 2026:
| Model | Type | Size | kWh/year | Average watts | kWh/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frigidaire FFCS0562AW | Compact, manual defrost | 5.1 cu ft | 196 | 22 W | 0.54 |
| Whirlpool WZC3209LW | Chest, manual defrost | 9.0 cu ft | 201 | 23 W | 0.55 |
| GE FCM11PH | Chest, manual defrost | 10.6 cu ft | 218 | 25 W | 0.60 |
| GE FCM16DL | Chest, manual defrost | 15.7 cu ft | 277 | 32 W | 0.76 |
| GE FCM22DL | Chest, manual defrost | 21.7 cu ft | 346 | 39 W | 0.95 |
| Insignia NS-UZ11 | Upright, automatic defrost | 11.0 cu ft | 355 | 41 W | 0.97 |
| GE FUF14DL | Upright, automatic defrost | 14.1 cu ft | 397 | 45 W | 1.09 |
| GE FUF17DL | Upright, automatic defrost | 17.3 cu ft | 441 | 50 W | 1.21 |
| Frigidaire FFFH20F3W | Upright, automatic defrost | 20.0 cu ft | 478 | 55 W | 1.31 |
The kWh figures are the certified ratings. The watts and kWh per day are arithmetic from them, rounded. Your own freezer's label is the number that counts.
Across the whole list, the certified manual-defrost chest freezers run from 201 to 346 kWh a year. The automatic-defrost uprights, by far the largest group, run from 249 to 649 kWh a year, with a median of 438.
Chest vs upright
Two things separate the chest freezers from the uprights in that table.
- The lid. ENERGY STAR says a chest freezer is usually more energy efficient, because it opens from the top and lets less cold air escape.
- Defrost. ENERGY STAR says manual-defrost freezers use about half the energy of automatic-defrost models, as long as you defrost them before frost builds past a quarter inch. Every certified chest freezer in the list is manual defrost; nearly every upright is automatic.
ENERGY STAR's own typical figures make the same point: about 215 kWh a year for a certified chest freezer and about 395 kWh for a certified upright.
Running watts and the starting surge
The average hides a cycle. While the compressor runs, the freezer draws well above its average. Between cycles it draws almost nothing, apart from a light or controls. An automatic-defrost upright also runs a defrost heater periodically. A plug-in energy meter left on for a full day shows the actual pattern for your unit.
When a conventional compressor starts, it pulls a brief surge above its running watts. That surge is what a generator, inverter or portable power station has to handle. The same compressor behavior is covered in more detail in how many watts a refrigerator uses, and the circuit side in how many amps a refrigerator uses.
The rating plate inside the lid or on the back gives a still higher figure, a maximum for planning the circuit, not what the freezer draws hour to hour.
What it costs to run
Multiply kWh per year by your electricity rate. At 16 cents per kWh:
- 201 kWh a year (9 cu ft chest): about $32 a year
- 218 kWh a year (10.6 cu ft chest): about $35 a year
- 441 kWh a year (17.3 cu ft upright): about $71 a year
- 478 kWh a year (20 cu ft upright): about $76 a year
These are illustrations at one rate; your bill's rate changes them. ENERGY STAR estimates about $30 a year for a typical certified chest freezer and $60 for an upright. The watts to kWh calculator runs your own numbers.
Where the freezer sits matters too. ENERGY STAR advises keeping it indoors, such as in a basement, unless you live in a mild climate, because extreme temperatures are hard on the compressor. It also recommends setting it at 0°F, leaving a few inches of space behind it for air, and checking the door seals.
A freezer on battery backup
For a home battery, a freezer is one of the easier loads to carry, and one of the easier ones to put off.
- Energy is modest. As an illustration, a freezer averaging 40 watts uses about 0.96 kWh in 24 hours, before inverter losses.
- The start is the test. The inverter has to supply the compressor's starting surge with everything else on the backed-up circuits already running.
- It can wait longer than the refrigerator. The FDA says a full freezer keeps its temperature for about 48 hours (24 if half full) with the door closed, against about 4 hours for an unopened refrigerator.
- It has to be on the right circuit. A freezer in the garage or basement is often on a different circuit from the kitchen. If that circuit isn't on the critical load panel, the freezer is off in an outage.
The critical load panel planner checks whether a battery can carry the circuits you choose, surge included. Freezers, refrigerators and sump pumps are the usual first picks on the home battery and backup projects Seamless Home coordinates. Get a free estimate to start. Coverage is confirmed per service area rather than promised as blanket availability.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a freezer use?
On average, about 22 to 55 watts for the full-size and compact models in the ENERGY STAR certified list. Divide the kWh per year on the EnergyGuide label by 8,760 to get your model's average. A 218 kWh a year chest freezer averages about 25 watts; a 441 kWh a year upright averages about 50 watts.
How many watts does a chest freezer use?
The certified manual-defrost chest freezers in the ENERGY STAR list range from 201 to 346 kWh a year, which is about 23 to 40 watts on average. A Whirlpool 9.0 cubic foot model is rated at 201 kWh a year and a GE 21.7 cubic foot model at 346 kWh a year.
Does a chest freezer use less than an upright?
Usually. ENERGY STAR says a chest freezer is typically more efficient because its lid opens from the top and lets less cold air out, and that manual-defrost freezers use about half the energy of automatic-defrost models. Its typical figures are about 215 kWh a year for a certified chest freezer and 395 kWh for a certified upright.
How many kWh does a freezer use per day?
Divide the label's kWh per year by 365. A 218 kWh a year chest freezer uses about 0.6 kWh a day; a 441 kWh a year upright uses about 1.2 kWh a day. A freezer in a hot garage or one opened often will use more than its label.
How much does it cost to run a freezer?
Multiply kWh per year by your electricity rate. At 16 cents per kWh, a 218 kWh a year chest freezer costs about $35 a year and a 441 kWh a year upright about $71. ENERGY STAR's own estimates are about $30 a year for a typical certified chest freezer and $60 for an upright.
How long will a freezer stay frozen without power?
The FDA says a full freezer will hold its temperature for about 48 hours, or 24 hours if it is half full, if the door stays closed. A refrigerator keeps food cold for only about 4 hours unopened, which is why the refrigerator usually comes first on a backup circuit list.