What a clothes washer costs to run

A typical certified clothes washer uses 110 kWh a year, about $20.01 at the U.S. average rate.

Front-load and top-load washers. Based on 418 models on the ENERGY STAR certified list.

Typical model110 kWhper year

Efficient model75 kWhbest 10% of models

High-use model196 kWhtop 10% in energy use

U.S. average cost$20.01per year, typical model

Cost by state

Typical clothes washer, 110 kWh a year. Rank 1 is the most expensive state.
Rank	State	Cents per kWh	Per year	Per month
1	Hawaii	46.41	$51.05	$4.25
2	California	32.58	$35.84	$2.99
3	Maine	30.23	$33.25	$2.77
4	Massachusetts	30.19	$33.21	$2.77
5	New York	29.26	$32.19	$2.68
6	Rhode Island	29.05	$31.95	$2.66
7	Connecticut	27.47	$30.22	$2.52
8	Alaska	27.32	$30.05	$2.50
9	New Hampshire	26.91	$29.60	$2.47
10	District of Columbia	24.86	$27.35	$2.28
11	New Jersey	24.09	$26.50	$2.21
12	Vermont	23.93	$26.32	$2.19
13	Michigan	21.73	$23.90	$1.99
14	Maryland	21.31	$23.44	$1.95
15	Pennsylvania	21.13	$23.24	$1.94
16	Illinois	19.23	$21.15	$1.76
17	Wisconsin	19.05	$20.95	$1.75
18	Ohio	18.81	$20.69	$1.72
19	Delaware	17.98	$19.78	$1.65
20	Indiana	17.04	$18.74	$1.56
21	Virginia	16.95	$18.64	$1.55
22	Colorado	16.80	$18.48	$1.54
23	Alabama	16.51	$18.16	$1.51
24	Minnesota	16.44	$18.08	$1.51
25	Texas	16.03	$17.63	$1.47
26	South Carolina	15.90	$17.49	$1.46
27	West Virginia	15.58	$17.14	$1.43
28	Georgia	15.48	$17.03	$1.42
29	Oregon	15.46	$17.01	$1.42
30	Arizona	15.36	$16.90	$1.41
31	New Mexico	15.34	$16.87	$1.41
32	Florida	15.32	$16.85	$1.40
33	Kansas	15.26	$16.79	$1.40
34	Mississippi	15.06	$16.57	$1.38
35	North Carolina	14.94	$16.43	$1.37
36	South Dakota	14.58	$16.04	$1.34
37	Iowa	14.55	$16.00	$1.33
38	Washington	14.42	$15.86	$1.32
39	Missouri	14.28	$15.71	$1.31
40	Kentucky	14.20	$15.62	$1.30
41	Montana	14.13	$15.54	$1.30
42	Wyoming	14.01	$15.41	$1.28
43	Oklahoma	13.81	$15.19	$1.27
44	Tennessee	13.80	$15.18	$1.26
45	Arkansas	13.74	$15.11	$1.26
46	Nevada	13.36	$14.70	$1.22
47	Louisiana	13.27	$14.60	$1.22
48	Utah	13.19	$14.51	$1.21
49	Idaho	13.02	$14.32	$1.19
50	Nebraska	12.92	$14.21	$1.18
51	North Dakota	12.46	$13.71	$1.14

Models that use the least electricity

Lower energy use often comes with a smaller size. Compare models of the size you need.
Model	Details	kWh per year	Cost per year, U.S. average
Crown CRNWM280W00	Front Load	39	$7.09
Hisense WF5S2845BB	Front Load	39	$7.09
Hisense WF5S2845BT	Front Load	39	$7.09
Hisense WF5S2845BW	Front Load	39	$7.09
Premium Levella PWMF280HB	Front Load	39	$7.09
Premium Levella PWMF280HT	Front Load	39	$7.09
Premium Levella PWMF280HW	Front Load	39	$7.09
Premium Levella PWMF286HS	Front Load	39	$7.09
Premium Levella PWMF287HB	Front Load	39	$7.09
TRUARCTIC TWF3124HSB	Front Load	39	$7.09
TRUARCTIC TWF3124HST	Front Load	39	$7.09
TRUARCTIC TWF3124HSW	Front Load	39	$7.09
Electrolux ELFW7337***	Front Load	50	$9.10
Electrolux ELTE7300*** -	Front Load	50	$9.10
Electrolux ELTE730C*** -	Front Load	50	$9.10

Brands with the most certified models

Brand	Models	Typical kWh per year
LG	96	105
Samsung	66	105
Midea	38	117
GE	36	156
Whirlpool	27	140
Electrolux	23	85
GE Profile	16	145
Maytag	12	142
Summit	11	100
Hisense	9	75

Frequently asked questions

How much electricity does a clothes washer use?

A typical ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer uses about 110 kWh a year. The most efficient 10% use 75 kWh or less. The 10% that use the most need 196 kWh or more.

How much does it cost to run a clothes washer for a year?

About $20.01 at the U.S. average rate of 18.19 cents per kWh. It ranges from $13.71 in North Dakota to $51.05 in Hawaii.

How we get these numbers: yearly electricity use comes from the ENERGY STAR certified product lists, measured with the federal test procedure. The rate is the average residential price the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports for each state, January to August 2026. Your own bill depends on your utility, your plan and how you use the appliance. See sources.