How we work it out
Freezers are rated in kWh per year on the same energy label as a fridge, so the maths is just that figure times your state's rate. The model search and the class medians come straight from the energyrating.gov.au registration database, the government registry of every freezer approved for sale in Australia, filtered to the 378 standalone chest and upright models (built-in columns aside), using the July 2026 snapshot. A chest freezer's registry median is 243 kWh a year for a roughly 200 L unit; an upright or bar freezer's median is 190 kWh a year for a roughly 90 L unit.
Worked example: a registry-median chest freezer in NSW: 243 kWh × 32.4¢ = about $79 a year. The smaller upright: 190 kWh × 32.4¢ = about $62 a year. A new ~200 L chest freezer at that class currently starts around $549 (The Good Guys' Westinghouse WCM2000WE, corroborated by Appliances Online's price on the identical model), while a smaller ~90 L upright starts around $649 (Bing Lee's Westinghouse WFM0900WD). Enter your own model or class above and the docket works out how many months of running-cost savings it takes an inefficient unit to pay one back.
Chest or upright: the trade-off isn't just about space
A chest freezer uses less power and usually costs less to buy for the same rough capacity. Cold air is heavier than warm air, so it doesn't spill out every time the lid opens the way it does through a door. An upright freezer costs more to run and more to buy, but everything stays visible and reachable instead of buried under six months of what's-that-frozen-parcel archaeology. If it's going in a garage or shed rather than a kitchen, that's one more reason to lean chest: uprights work harder in a hot, unconditioned space.
Common questions
How much does a chest freezer cost to run in Australia?
A registry-median chest freezer (about 200 L) costs roughly $65 to $95 a year on current reference rates, depending on your state.
Is a chest freezer cheaper to run than an upright?
Yes, generally. The registry median for a chest freezer is 243 kWh a year against 190 kWh for a smaller upright or bar freezer, though the upright is also the smaller unit, so it's not a like-for-like size comparison.
Where do I find my freezer's energy figure?
On the red and yellow energy rating label, listed as kWh per year. If the label is long gone, the model number plus the energyrating.gov.au registry will find it.
What this costs, state by state
The registry-median chest freezer, ~200 L.
| State | Rate | Per quarter | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 32.4¢ | $19.76 | $78.73 |
| Victoria | 29.8¢ | $18.18 | $72.41 |
| Queensland | 31.2¢ | $19.03 | $75.82 |
| South Australia | 38.1¢ | $23.24 | $92.58 |
| Western Australia | 33.6¢ | $20.50 | $81.65 |
| Tasmania | 28.9¢ | $17.63 | $70.23 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 27.4¢ | $16.71 | $66.58 |
| Northern Territory | 31.7¢ | $19.34 | $77.03 |
Reference rates for 2026–27. Your row is highlighted once you set your location.
Sources
Electricity rates: AER Default Market Offer (NSW, SA, south-east QLD), Victorian Default Offer, and each remaining state's regulated tariff, current for 2026–27. Appliance figures: the energyrating.gov.au registration database (July 2026 snapshot). Methods and assumptions are described on each page.