Short answer: how much power does a vending machine use? A new refrigerated drink machine is capped by US federal rules at roughly 3.2 to 4.8 kWh a day, depending on its type and size. A typical glass-front machine with 25 cubic feet of refrigerated space is allowed at most 3.73 kWh a day, about 1,360 kWh a year, which comes to roughly $16 a month at the US average commercial electricity price. Snack machines use less.
The electricity is usually the one cost a host pays, so it's worth knowing the real number before you say yes.
The federal limits, by machine type
Since January 8, 2019, every refrigerated bottled or canned beverage vending machine made for the US market must stay under a maximum daily energy use set by its class and its refrigerated volume (V, in cubic feet):
| Class | What it is | Maximum kWh per day |
|---|---|---|
| Class A | 25% or more of the front is transparent (glass-front) | 0.052 × V + 2.43 |
| Class B | Not Class A, usually solid-front | 0.052 × V + 2.20 |
| Combination A | Refrigerated and non-refrigerated compartments, glass-front | 0.086 × V + 2.66 |
| Combination B | Refrigerated and non-refrigerated compartments, not glass-front | 0.111 × V + 2.04 |
Canada regulates the same machines under its Energy Efficiency Regulations, for machines made from January 8, 2019, using a test standard aligned with the US procedure.
What that means in kWh and dollars
We applied the formulas at three common sizes. These are the maximums a new machine may use; many use less.
| Machine | Size | Max kWh/day | Max kWh/year | About per month at 14.53¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class A (glass-front) | 20 cu ft | 3.47 | 1,267 | $15 |
| Class A (glass-front) | 25 cu ft | 3.73 | 1,361 | $16 |
| Class A (glass-front) | 30 cu ft | 3.99 | 1,456 | $18 |
| Class B (solid-front) | 25 cu ft | 3.50 | 1,278 | $15 |
| Combination A | 25 cu ft | 4.81 | 1,756 | $21 |
| Combination B | 25 cu ft | 4.81 | 1,757 | $21 |
The price is the US average commercial rate for July 2026. Your rate will differ: multiply the monthly kWh (daily × 30.4) by your own cents per kWh. In BC, our power cost calculator does this with BC Hydro's business rates.
The Department of Energy's own purchasing example lands in the same place: for a 30 cubic foot glass-front machine, it lists 3.99 kWh a day at the federal minimum, 3.71 for an ENERGY STAR model and 3.23 for the best available, or 1,456, 1,354 and 1,179 kWh a year.
Older machines can use more
The limits depend on when the machine was made:
- Made August 31, 2012 to January 7, 2019: Class A was capped at 0.055 × V + 2.56 kWh a day and Class B at 0.073 × V + 3.16. At 25 cubic feet, that's 3.94 and 4.99 kWh a day.
- Made before that: no federal cap applied, and a well-used older machine can draw noticeably more.
If an operator offers a refurbished machine, ask what year it was built. It's a fair question; the answer can change your bill by a few dollars a month.
What drives the number
- Refrigeration is most of it. A warm room, direct sun or a machine jammed against a wall makes the compressor work harder. Leave the clearance the manufacturer asks for.
- Lighting is the next biggest. LED lighting and a low-power mode that dims the lights at night help.
- Low-power mode. ENERGY STAR machines can put the lighting and refrigeration into a low-power state at night, on weekends or after long idle periods. The DOE suggests asking the vendor to set it for your hours and checking now and then that it's working.
- Certification. ENERGY STAR says its certified drink machines are on average 9% more efficient and save about 1,000 kWh a year.
Who pays for the power?
Usually the host, because the machine plugs into the host's outlet. That's normal, and at roughly $15–20 a month for a typical drink machine it's the smallest line in the deal. Some hosts ask the operator to cover it, which is worth raising when you compare offers. In a shared building, the board or owner decides how common-area power is handled; our building power guide shows how that works in one province.
For the outlet and space side, see the space and power checklist.
About this data
The daily limits come from the federal energy conservation standards for refrigerated bottled or canned beverage vending machines (10 CFR 431.296, machines made on or after January 8, 2019, and the earlier tier for August 31, 2012 to January 7, 2019), with the classes defined in 10 CFR 431.292. We applied each formula at 20, 25 and 30 cubic feet, multiplied by 365 days for the yearly figure and by 30.4 days for a month, and priced the month at 14.53 cents per kWh, the US average retail price for the commercial sector in July 2026 (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A). Figures are rounded. They are legal maximums for a new machine, not measurements of any particular machine.
Sources
- 10 CFR 431.296 (limits by class and date): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/chapter-II/subchapter-D/part-431/subpart-Q/section-431.296, accessed 2026-10-16
- 10 CFR 431.292 (class definitions): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-10/chapter-II/subchapter-D/part-431/subpart-Q/section-431.292, accessed 2026-10-16
- US DOE FEMP, Purchasing energy-efficient refrigerated beverage vending machines: https://www.energy.gov/femp/purchasing-energy-efficient-refrigerated-beverage-vending-machines, accessed 2026-10-16
- ENERGY STAR, Vending machines: https://www.energystar.gov/products/vending_machines, accessed 2026-10-16
- US EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a, accessed 2026-10-16
- Natural Resources Canada, Refrigerated vending machines: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/energy-efficiency-regulations/refrigerated-vending-machines, accessed 2026-10-16
Last updated: October 31, 2026. This is general information.