How to read the yellow EnergyGuide label
The dollar figure on the label uses a national average rate. The kWh figure is the one to take home.
By Felipe Guilherme de Oliveira Bueno. Updated November 11, 2026.
The yellow EnergyGuide label is required by the Federal Trade Commission on many major appliances sold in the United States. It exists so you can compare the running cost of similar models in the store.
What the label shows
- Estimated yearly energy cost. The big dollar figure in the middle.
- A cost range for similar models. A bar showing where this model sits between the cheapest and the most expensive to run.
- Estimated yearly electricity use, in kWh.
- The assumptions. The small print says which electricity price and how much use the dollar figure is based on.
Why the dollar figure can be far from your cost
The label uses one national average electricity price for everyone. Real prices run from 12.46 cents per kWh in North Dakota to 46.41 cents in Hawaii. If your rate is double the one on the label, your cost is double too.
What to do instead
Take the kWh figure from the label and multiply it by your own price per kWh. A model that uses 400 kWh a year costs $49.84 a year in North Dakota, $72.76 at the U.S. average and $185.64 in Hawaii.
EnergyGuide is not the same as ENERGY STAR
EnergyGuide is a label every covered product must carry, efficient or not. ENERGY STAR is a separate mark for models that meet efficiency criteria set by the program. A product can have the yellow label without being ENERGY STAR certified.
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.