Data through April 2026
Running cost · Clothes Washers · ENERGY STAR certified
GE GTW538A*W
Across a standard year of loads (234 cycles under the DOE test), the GE GTW538A*W uses 175 kWh — about $33 at the U.S. average electricity rate, or roughly 14¢ per load. Even among certified models it's on the thirsty end: 59% more electricity than the median clothes washer, ranked 307 of 338. The same unit costs $22 a year in North Dakota but $82 in Hawaii — electricity rates, not the appliance, make the difference. Electricity is only part of the story for a clothes washer — check the water figure in the specs below.
Estimated annual running cost · U.S. average rate 18.8¢/kWh
$33/yr
- Per month
- $2.75
- Per day
- 9¢
- Certified use
- 175 kWh/yr
- Load configuration
- Top Load
- Drum volume
- 4.6 cu ft
- IMEF
- 2.06
- Annual water use
- 5,860 gal/yr
What it costs in every state
| State | Rate ¢/kWh | This model $/yr | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 17.4¢ | $30 | |
| Alaska | 27.4¢ | $48 | |
| Arizona | 15.5¢ | $27 | |
| Arkansas | 14.2¢ | $25 | |
| California | 35.3¢ | $62 | |
| Colorado | 16.5¢ | $29 | |
| Connecticut | 32.2¢ | $56 | |
| Delaware | 18.8¢ | $33 | |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $44 | |
| Florida | 15.4¢ | $27 | |
| Georgia | 15.4¢ | $27 | |
| Hawaiipriciest | 46.6¢ | $82 | |
| Idaho | 12.7¢ | $22 | |
| Illinois | 20.5¢ | $36 | |
| Indiana | 17.9¢ | $31 | |
| Iowa | 13.9¢ | $24 | |
| Kansas | 15.8¢ | $28 | |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $26 | |
| Louisiana | 14.4¢ | $25 | |
| Maine | 28.4¢ | $50 | |
| Maryland | 22.1¢ | $39 | |
| Massachusetts | 29.4¢ | $52 | |
| Michigan | 21.4¢ | $37 | |
| Minnesota | 16.4¢ | $29 | |
| Mississippi | 16.8¢ | $29 | |
| Missouri | 14.0¢ | $25 | |
| Montana | 13.9¢ | $24 | |
| Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $23 | |
| Nevada | 14.3¢ | $25 | |
| New Hampshire | 27.2¢ | $48 | |
| New Jersey | 23.5¢ | $41 | |
| New Mexico | 15.2¢ | $27 | |
| New York | 29.4¢ | $52 | |
| North Carolina | 16.3¢ | $28 | |
| North Dakotacheapest | 12.3¢ | $22 | |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $34 | |
| Oklahoma | 13.3¢ | $23 | |
| Oregon | 15.8¢ | $28 | |
| Pennsylvania | 21.5¢ | $38 | |
| Rhode Island | 28.3¢ | $50 | |
| South Carolina | 17.1¢ | $30 | |
| South Dakota | 14.5¢ | $25 | |
| Tennessee | 14.9¢ | $26 | |
| Texas | 17.0¢ | $30 | |
| Utah | 13.3¢ | $23 | |
| Vermont | 24.6¢ | $43 | |
| Virginia | 17.4¢ | $30 | |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | $25 | |
| West Virginia | 16.1¢ | $28 | |
| Wisconsin | 19.2¢ | $34 | |
| Wyoming | 14.7¢ | $26 |
Certified models closest in efficiency
| Model | kWh/yr | $/yr (US avg) |
|---|---|---|
| GE GTW500A*N | 175 | $33 |
| GE GTW540A*P | 175 | $33 |
| GE GTW490ACJ8WS | 170 | $32 |
| LG WT7050C | 180 | $34 |
| Midea MLH52N4AWW | 180 | $34 |
| GE GTW720B*N | 165 | $31 |
Run your own numbers
Your rate, your numbers
- Per day
- 9¢
- Per month
- $2.75
- Per year
- $33
175 kWh/yr × 18.8¢/kWh = $33/yr
Prefilled with this model's certified 175 kWh/yr — adjust if your usage differs from the DOE test basis. The certified annual kWh assumes 234 wash cycles per year (the DOE standard, about 4–5 loads a week) and includes water-heating energy.
Questions, answered with the data
- How much electricity does the GE GTW538A*W use?
- ENERGY STAR certifies the GE GTW538A*W at 175 kWh per year. The certified annual kWh assumes 234 wash cycles per year (the DOE standard, about 4–5 loads a week) and includes water-heating energy.
- How much does the GE GTW538A*W cost to run per month?
- About $2.75 a month at the U.S. average residential rate (18.8¢/kWh) — 9¢ a day, or $33 a year. Your state's rate moves this up or down; see the table above.
- Is the GE GTW538A*W energy efficient?
- It uses 59% more electricity than the median certified clothes washer, which puts it among the least efficient certified models.
- What does the GE GTW538A*W cost to run in the cheapest vs. priciest state?
- At current residential rates it costs about $22 a year in North Dakota (12.3¢/kWh) and $82 in Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh).
- What does one load cost with the GE GTW538A*W?
- Roughly 14¢ per cycle at the U.S. average rate, based on the DOE test's 234 cycles a year.