Mini fridges can come in handy for all sorts of people. They give college dorm students a place to store their food without the worries of anyone on campus stealing it. Husbands can hide beer from their wives in their man caves. They even provide an extra spot for employees to keep their water bottles cool in the office. How many watts does a mini fridge use? Mini fridges can be very helpful, but are they harmful on the electric bill?
So, how many watts does a mini fridge use? These space saving fridges can be very helpful, but electricity can be very expensive. Nobody wants a new appliance that’s going to make their power bill rise to an unfriendly number.
Most mini fridges range between 50-65 watts. This will depend on their exact size and insulation level. Another factor that determines how many watts your mini fridge will use is how often you open it. Once a mini fridge has reached it’s set temperature on the inside it stops running until the temperature drops. Since these fridges aren’t running all the time their watts could be even lower than predicted.
Can I Run A Mini Fridge Off An Inverter?
An inverter is a power electronic device that changes it’s direct current to an alternating current, which basically means that the inverter uses battery power to charge your device.
Can I run a mini fridge off an inverter? You can, but you need to make sure you have an inverter that is strong enough to handle 1800 watts of energy to power up. It’s a good idea to know exactly how many watts does a mini fridge use so you can get an inverter that will be able to handle your mini fridge.
Once the inverter starts up your fridge it will need to be able to handle steadily providing 600 watts of energy. This is something you should keep in mind if you are getting a mini fridge for the purpose of camping (or travelling in a motor home).
Check my review on the best Chinese cleaver!
How Much Power Does A Mini Fridge Use?
So we now know that a mini fridge ranges in 50-65 watts, but how much power does a mini fridge use? Your energy consumption is measured in kilowatts-hours. If your fridge runs at an average of 60 watts for 8 hours a day, this means that your fridge will have a 480 watt day. (Multiply the watts by the hours used in the day).
To convert this measurement from watts to kilowatts we will need to divide it by 1000. So this means the mini fridge will be at 0.48 kilowatts. If you want to find out how much power does a mini fridge use, then measure that number by what your electric company charges. Most mini fridges average between an extra $30-$45 per year in US households.
The cost of running a mini fridge is roughly half the amount that it costs to run a full size fridge, if that helps you get a better understanding of how much it will cost you. Newer models will be more energy efficient, as the older models will require the use of more energy to run.
Does A Mini Fridge Need A Special Outlet?
It’s not uncommon for appliances to require a special outlet of their own. With so much energy being used to power these items you need the right outlet to avoid blowing a fuse. Does a mini fridge need a special outlet of its own too?
Luckily, you don’t need anything special to power up your mini fridge. You can plug the electrical cord into a regular power outlet. When you unpack your fridge, allow it to stand upright for at least 4 hours before you plug it in. Once you plug your fridge in for the first time allow it to cool down for roughly 3 hours before putting anything inside of it.
To be safe make sure your fridge has at least 5 inches of room on each side so it doesn’t start to overheat. Fridges get warm as they run and need the air around it to ventilate properly. If the mini fridge overheats it could malfunction and eventually stop running.
How Many Watts Does A Mini Fridge Use? Final Thoughts
It turns out a mini fridge won’t hurt your electricity bill very much. Now that you know a little bit more about how many watts a mini fridge uses you can prepare to keep your costs of running on the lower side.
Remember that your mini fridge doesn’t need to be running constantly to stay cold inside. They are well insulated and as long as the door isn’t opened frequently they will stay cool. They will only cost you money on the electricity bill if you are opening that door too much. So keep that in mind when using a mini fridge.
If you’re getting ready to move to a college campus, then you can get the mini fridge without worrying about your energy bill prices rising. Hopefully this helps you get a clearer understanding of how a mini fridge uses energy.
Looking for an electric kettle for the elderly? Read my review about it.
