How much energy a freezer uses, and what it costs to keep it running

A median freezer, according to the European EPREL registry, costs 90.33 euros a year in electricity. But the figure that matters most is a different one: two freezers in the exact same energy class can cost almost twice as much to run, and the difference is not down to efficiency, it is down to how big they are.

We at PortosEunostos read the data sheets of 9,588 "pure" freezers (the ones without a combined fridge compartment) registered on EPREL, applied the ARERA electricity tariff in force since 1 October 2026, 0.4343 euros per kWh, and checked the result against three Bosch models that are actually for sale.

The median is 208 kWh, 90 euros a year

Out of 9,588 pure freezers, 8,122 (84.7%) declare a valid annual consumption in the energyConsAnnualV2 field. The median is 208 kWh a year, which at the fourth-quarter 2026 tariff works out at 90.33 euros, 7.53 euros a month. Broken down by energy class, the medians range from 95 kWh in class A to 374 in class G, with class E alone covering 59.9% of the sample (4,866 models) at a median of 205 kWh.

The energy class does not tell you the cost, the capacity does

This is where the label alone stops telling the story. Looking only at class E freezers, so at equal declared efficiency, the median consumption still nearly doubles as capacity grows:

A 500-litre freezer in class E costs 90% more a year to run than a 100-litre one in the same class. The class tells you how an appliance performs relative to its own size, not what you will actually pay on your bill: for that you need the litres too, not just the letter.

Two Bosch freezers, same class, 2.5 times the volume, 20 euros apart

The pattern in the table above, though, does not hold the same way inside a single product range. Three built-in Bosch freezers actually for sale on OpportunityCommerce are all rated class E, according to their respective EPREL sheets: the GUN21ADE0, at 85 litres, declares 189 kWh a year (82.08 euros). The GIN81VEE0 and the GIN81ACE0, both at 212 litres, declare 235 (102.06 euros).

The GIN81VEE0 has 2.49 times the volume of the GUN21ADE0, the same energy class, and costs only 19.98 euros more a year, 24.3%. Inside a single manufacturer's range, the relationship between litres and consumption is far flatter than the registry shows as a whole, a good reason not to rule out a larger model just because it will "use more", without first checking that specific model's data sheet.

Chest or upright: still a question of volume

Looking at absolute figures, a median chest freezer declares 247 kWh a year (107.25 euros), an upright one 198 (85.99 euros). That looks like a clear win for upright models, but the technology is not what decides it: we checked this litre by litre in chest or upright freezer, which one is worth it, where at equal capacity chest models do not actually use less. The gap you see here exists because chest freezers in the sample tend to be larger on average, not because horizontal insulation performs worse.

The cost of a year

For a household with an upright freezer between 200 and 300 litres, the most common bracket in the catalogue (2,593 models, 27% of the sample), the sum is this: 231 kWh a year, 100.32 euros, 8.36 euros a month. Over ten years, the typical service life of a freezer, that is over a thousand euros in electricity, more than the purchase price of many models on the market. A freezer's running cost is not a minor line item: it weighs as much as, or more than, the appliance itself.

PortosEunostos advice

• On choosing: do not stop at the class letter. Check the declared annual consumption (kWh/year) together with the litres: only the ratio between the two tells you whether you are paying fairly for the capacity you need.

• On size: a bigger model is not automatically far more expensive to run, as the Bosch comparison above shows. Always check the specific model's data sheet before ruling it out for this reason.

• On chest freezers: if you are comparing chest and upright at equal litres, consumption is not the deciding factor. Floor space is: we cover that in the dedicated article.

• On the seller: ask for the exact model's EPREL sheet before buying. Without it, you cannot redo the sum you just read for the appliance you are actually considering.

The Portos verdict

A freezer is an appliance that stays on 365 days a year, which is exactly why a few kWh of difference, multiplied over a decade, add up to real money. From the analysis of the 8,122 sheets with a valid figure, the useful conclusion is not "which class to buy" but "how many litres you actually need": buying more space than you will use costs more in electricity than it saves you in fewer trips to the supermarket.

If you are weighing up a purchase, you can compare prices and availability on SniffaPrezzi. To see the current selection of freezers, you can browse the freezer catalogue on OpportunityCommerce. The three Bosch models mentioned here, along with their Siemens equivalents, are covered in detail in Bosch or Siemens: the same built-in freezer at three different prices.

Sources

• European registry EPREL, refrigeratingappliances2019 group: 9,588 pure freezers extracted on 29 October 2026, field energyConsAnnualV2 for annual consumption, energyClass for the class, totalVolume for capacity.

• Bosch product pages GUN21ADE0, GIN81VEE0 and GIN81ACE0 on Bosch Italy.

• ARERA press release on the fourth quarter of 2026: 0.4343 euros per kWh.

• Availability and prices checked on 10 November 2026 on the OpportunityCommerce freezer catalogue.