A typical refrigerator uses between 300 and 800 watts when running at full power, with an average around 500 watts. However, because refrigerators cycle on and off to maintain temperature, their actual average power consumption is about one-third of their rated wattage. This means a fridge rated at 500 watts might use roughly 167 watts on average continuously throughout the day

. In terms of daily energy use, this translates to approximately 1 to 2 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per day, or about 2,400 to 6,000 watt-hours daily depending on the model and usage. For example, a refrigerator using an average of 167 watts continuously would consume about 4 kWh per day (167 watts × 24 hours)

. To summarize:

• Rated wattage: 300–800 watts (average ~500 watts)
• Average running wattage (due to cycling): about one-third of rated wattage (e.g., 167 watts for a 500-watt fridge)
• Daily energy consumption: roughly 1–2 kWh per day (about 4 kWh for a 500-watt fridge running on average)
• Factors affecting usage: size, age, efficiency, features like ice makers or water dispensers, and ambient temperature

This average daily consumption is what impacts your electricity bill, typically costing between $0.30 and $0.80 per day depending on local electricity rates and fridge efficiency

. Thus, a refrigerator generally uses about 1 to 2 kWh of electricity per day, which is equivalent to roughly 1000 to 2000 watts consumed over 24 hours.