How many watts does a freezer use?
Every number here comes from a named source. Generator charts give a generous figure for sizing a generator or power station. Test data and manufacturer specs show what the appliance draws.
- Running
- 500 to 700 W
- Extra at startup
- 2,200 W
- Average over a day
- 50 W
- Per day
- 1.2 kWh
- Voltage
- 120 V
How long it runs on a battery
| Battery | Runtime |
|---|---|
| 1 kWh | 17 h |
| 2 kWh | 34 h |
| 3 kWh | 2 days |
| 5 kWh | 4 days |
At the average draw of 50 W, with 85% of the battery usable after inverter losses.
What each source says
| Figure | Value | Source and basis |
|---|---|---|
| Average over a day | 50 (43 to 60) W | ENERGY STAR certified residential freezers datasetFull-size ENERGY STAR upright freezers, yearly kWh divided by 8,760 hours. Median of 502 models; range is the 10th to 90th percentile. |
| Average over a day | 32 (20 to 39) W | ENERGY STAR certified residential freezers datasetENERGY STAR chest freezers, yearly kWh divided by 8,760 hours. Only 10 certified models, from 3.5 to 21.7 cu ft; typical is the 15.7 cu ft model. |
| Running | 700 W | EWEB, Generator Sizing ConsiderationsGenerator sizing chart, refrigerator/freezer. |
| Running | 500 (up to 1,000) W | Amana Product Help, Generator Usage with AppliancesManufacturer's rough generator guide: 500 W manual defrost, 1,000 W self-defrost. |
| Extra at startup | 2,200 W | EWEB, Generator Sizing ConsiderationsGenerator sizing chart, refrigerator/freezer. |
By size
| Size | Average over a day |
|---|---|
| Upright freezer, under 15 cu ft | 45 (40 to 53) W |
| Upright freezer, 15 to 20 cu ft | 50 (up to 65) W |
| Upright freezer, 20 cu ft and up | 56 (up to 72) W |
ENERGY STAR upright freezers. Each row is the median of the certified models in that group, with the 10th to 90th percentile in brackets.
Good to know
- Chest freezers use less than uprights of the same size in the ENERGY STAR data.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR certified residential freezers dataset
- EWEB, Generator Sizing Considerations
- Amana Product Help, Generator Usage with Appliances
ENERGY STAR data downloaded on 2026-10-25. We publish the median of the certified models and the range from the 10th to the 90th percentile.