Clothes washers: Annual Operating Cost
At a glance (estimate)
- Median operating cost
- $20/yr
- Median energy use
- 110 kWh/yr
- Cost range
- $7–$206
- Models compared
- 378
This is an estimate. Operating cost is an estimate, computed from each model's measured annual energy use at the EIA U.S. national-average residential electricity rate (18.56 ¢/kWh, March 2026). Your actual cost depends on your local utility rate and how you use the appliance. How we compute this.
Across 378 ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers, the median appliance uses approximately 110 kWh annually and costs an estimated $20 per year to operate, based on the U.S. national-average residential electricity rate. Annual operating costs in the dataset range from roughly $7 to $206, providing a basis for direct model-to-model comparison independent of regional rate variations.
Operating cost represents only one factor in appliance selection. Purchase price, load capacity, and available features also influence the overall value proposition. However, energy efficiency alone can yield meaningful savings over an appliance's operational lifetime. The figures presented here reflect measured annual energy consumption applied uniformly across all models; actual operating costs will vary based on individual utility rates and usage patterns. This comparison addresses specifications and relative costs rather than purchasing decisions or installation guidance.
| Spec | Typical |
|---|---|
| Typical capacity | 1.9–6.0 cu ft (median 4.5) |
| Width range | 23.0–34.2 in |
| Brands in dataset | 44 |
| Efficiency metric | imef |
How we estimate operating cost
Operating cost is an estimate, computed from each model's measured annual energy use at the EIA U.S. national-average residential electricity rate (18.56 ¢/kWh, March 2026). Your actual cost depends on your local utility rate and how you use the appliance.
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