Washing Machine Electricity Cost per Load: July 2026 Data

The median ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer in WattCost's July 2026 snapshot uses 110 kWh a year. Using the DOE test basis of 234 wash cycles, that equals about 0.47 kWh and 9¢ per load at the April 2026 U.S. average residential electricity price of 18.83¢/kWh. The standardized figure includes water-heating energy.

Key takeaways

• 110 kWh/year ÷ 234 test cycles equals about 0.47 kWh per test-basis wash load.
• At 18.83¢/kWh, the median electricity-only estimate is about 8.9¢ per load and $20.71 per year.
• Across 338 certified models, annual energy use ranges from 39 to 311 kWh/year.
• In this snapshot, front-load models average about 104 kWh/year and top-load models about 161 kWh/year; model choice still matters more than the label alone.

How much electricity does one wash load use?

For the median certified model, divide 110 kWh/year by the DOE's 234-cycle annual test basis. The result is 0.47 kWh per standardized load. Multiplying 0.47 kWh by $0.1883/kWh produces an electricity estimate of about $0.09 per load.

The certified range translates to roughly 0.17 to 1.33 kWh per test-basis load. That is a model-comparison range, not a prediction for a specific setting, fabric mix, or household.

What is included in a washer's annual energy figure?

ENERGY STAR's clothes-washer efficiency metric considers machine electricity, hot-water energy, remaining-moisture energy, and low-power modes. That is why the annual figure is more useful than trying to estimate cost from a washer motor's nameplate wattage alone.

A real cycle can depart from the label basis. Temperature selection, load size, soil level, spin option, and a household's water-heating system all influence the energy attached to a load of laundry.

How front-load and top-load averages compare

The certified front-load group in this snapshot averages 103.8 kWh/year, or about 0.44 kWh per 234-cycle test-basis load. The top-load group averages 160.9 kWh/year, or about 0.69 kWh per test-basis load. That comparison is useful for the two groups represented here, but shoppers should still check an exact model's label.

For the related purchase decision, see WattCost's front-load versus top-load washer cost comparison.

How to get a number that matches your household

Use the annual kWh on the exact EnergyGuide label and multiply it by the rate on a utility bill. For an approximate per-load comparison, divide annual kWh by 234 only when the DOE test basis is appropriate for the question. Do not present that result as a fixed price for every wash setting.

WattCost's clothes-washer model data lets you compare certified annual figures directly.

FAQ

Does a washing machine use a lot of electricity per load? The median certified washer in this snapshot uses about 0.47 kWh per standardized load, or roughly 9¢ at 18.83¢/kWh. Water temperature can change a household's actual total energy use substantially because heating water is part of laundry energy use.

How much does it cost to run a washing machine monthly? At the 234-cycle annual test basis, the median certified washer costs about $20.71 a year at the cited U.S. average electricity price. Dividing that annual comparison by 12 gives roughly $1.73 per month.

Does this estimate include water and detergent? No. This article converts certified energy use into an electricity-only estimate. Local water and sewer charges, detergent, appliance purchase price, and maintenance are separate costs.

Why is a washer's wattage not enough to calculate a load cost? A washer's wattage is an instantaneous rating, while the certified annual energy figure captures a standardized laundry test that includes energy associated with water heating and other parts of the cycle. The annual label figure is the more comparable shopping input.

Data notes & sources

The per-load estimate uses WattCost's July 2026 certified clothes-washer snapshot, the DOE 234-cycle test basis, and EIA's April 2026 U.S. average residential electricity price.

Product and efficiency-metric context: ENERGY STAR clothes-washer guidance and ENERGY STAR clothes-washer criteria.

Electricity-rate context: U.S. EIA residential electricity-price table.