CostToKeep Data Sources
CostToKeep is designed so users can understand where important numbers and claims come from. Different calculations may rely on different data sources depending on the appliance and the evidence available.
ENERGY STAR / EPA
Used for available refrigerator product specifications such as model family, product type, capacity, annual energy use, ENERGY STAR certification, and related certified-product information.
U.S. Department of Energy
Used for category-level refrigerator service-life analysis when stronger model-specific lifespan evidence is unavailable.
U.S. Energy Information Administration
Used for residential electricity-price averages by state when users do not provide their own electricity rate. State averages are not individual household tariffs.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Used for official recall and safety evidence. A lack of a matched recall does not prove that an appliance is safe or reliable.
Manufacturer Documentation
Used for product specifications, manuals, support resources, and model-specific warranty information when available.
Parts & Market Pricing
Exact-model parts sources may be used to verify component compatibility and record dated supplier prices. These are market observations, not permanent prices or complete repair quotes.
Service Market Information
Published repair-market information may provide broader national context for labor or service costs. Source-specific ranges are preserved when sources differ rather than being blended into false precision.
User Inputs
Calculator users may provide technician quotes, appliance age, replacement prices, electricity rates, maintenance assumptions, and repair allowances. These inputs are identified separately from externally sourced data.
CostToKeep First-Party Data
CostToKeep may later collect anonymous repair quotes and completed-repair outcomes. User-derived statistics should only be published after sufficient sample size and quality checks.
Corrections
If a source changes or an error is identified, CostToKeep may correct or update the affected information while preserving appropriate verification and update records.