There are about five million mechanically refrigerated drinking water coolers in the United States. Although there have been few reports of measured consumption under typical. conditions, it is estimated that the average unit consumes 400 kWh/yr. We measured 12 drinking water coolers and found that they consumed an average of 444 kWh/yr. Consumption varies widely depending on the type of drinking water cooler and operating conditions. Most units consume between 100 and 1000 kWh/yr. There appears to be a significant opportunity for cost-effective conservation measures that could reduce electricity consumption by as much as 54%.