What is the average wattage a refrigerator uses?

The average refrigerator uses 57 to 160 watts, whereas the average refrigerator with a compressor uses 200 to 700 watts, according to PowerSurvival.com. The amount of wattage used by a refrigerator depends on a variety of factors including age, temperature setting, model design and size.

Older and larger refrigerators use more wattage because a watt is the amount of power and energy used to run an electric appliance. For example, a new refrigerator that has 22 cubic feet of space uses on average 56 kilowatts per month, whereas a refrigerator that has 18 cubic feet of space uses 41 kilowatts per month, according to EfficiencyVermont.com.