Kitchen · New Mexico
How Much Does It Cost to Run a Chest Freezer in New Mexico?
The short answer
Running a chest freezer around the clock in New Mexico costs about $3.76 a month ($0.12 a day), based on a typical 80W unit using 0.77 kWh a day.
The estimate uses New Mexico’s average residential electricity price of 16.1¢/kWh from EIA (July 2026) — 12% below the national average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
Chest Freezer cost by size and efficiency in New Mexico
| Model | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Efficient (50W) | 14.6 | $0.08 | $2.35 | $28.19 |
| Typical (80W) | 23.4 | $0.12 | $3.76 | $45.10 |
| Older / large (150W) | 43.8 | $0.23 | $7.05 | $84.57 |
New Mexico vs other states
At typical use, a chest freezer costs $45.10 a year in New Mexico — $89.45 less than in Hawaii and $9.45 more than in Louisiana.
New Mexico has the 26th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. New Mexico electricity rates · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in New Mexico
16.1¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +1.8% from a year earlier.
How to lower the cost of running a chest freezer
Chest freezers are among the most efficient appliances per cubic foot because cold air sinks and stays inside when the lid opens. Like a refrigerator, the compressor cycles on and off — we assume about 40% of the time. Placement matters: a freezer in a hot garage runs much longer than one in a cool basement.
- Keep it in a cool spot away from the water heater, furnace and direct sun.
- A full freezer holds cold better — fill empty space with jugs of water.
- Defrost when ice builds up beyond a quarter inch.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does a chest freezer cost to run per year in New Mexico?
A typical 80W chest freezer uses about 280 kWh a year, which costs about $45.10 at New Mexico’s average rate of 16.1¢/kWh.
How many kWh does a chest freezer use per month?
At running 24/7, a typical chest freezer uses about 23.4 kWh a month. In New Mexico that costs $3.76.
Is it expensive to run a chest freezer in New Mexico?
New Mexico has the 26th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 16.1¢/kWh — close to the middle of the pack. Running a chest freezer here costs about $45.10 a year at typical use, compared with $51.33 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in New Mexico right now?
The average residential electricity rate in New Mexico was 16.1¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 1.8% from a year earlier.
Is a chest freezer cheaper to run than an upright freezer?
Usually yes. Chest freezers lose less cold air when opened and typically use 10–25% less electricity than upright freezers of the same size.
Chest Freezer costs in nearby states
Other appliances in New Mexico
Cheapest and priciest states
Comparisons
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for chest freezer: running 24/7, 40% duty cycle. Typical power 80W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).