Washing machine Electricity Cost & Wattage
What a washing machine costs to run: typical 0.9 kWh/cycle, about $32 a year. Adjust the figures to your own usage and electricity price.
Your Washing machine running cost
Costs about
/ year
- Per cycle
- Per week
- Energy per year
Set energy per cycle to match your usual programme.
Typical wattage
| Energy per cycle | 0.9 kWh |
|---|---|
| Typical use | 4 cycles/week |
A washing machine's running cost is best measured per cycle, not per hour, because what it uses depends almost entirely on the programme you choose rather than on how long the drum spins. The single biggest factor is water temperature: heating the water for a wash accounts for the large majority of the energy used. A cold or 30 °C wash might use around 0.5 kWh, while a 60 °C cotton cycle can use two to three times as much. That is why this page works from energy per cycle, which you can read from your machine's energy label or measure with a plug-in power meter.
The motor that turns the drum and the pump that moves water use relatively little by comparison. Even a fast spin, which sounds energetic, is short and cheap next to the heating element. This means the cheapest way to cut laundry costs is almost never to wash less often — it is to wash cooler. Modern detergents are formulated to work well at low temperatures, so most everyday loads come out just as clean at 30 °C as they would have at 40 °C a decade ago.
Over a year the numbers add up quietly. A household running four washes a week at about 0.9 kWh each uses roughly 187 kWh a year just for washing — before the tumble dryer, which usually costs far more. Enter your own energy per cycle, how many washes you run each week and your electricity price above to see your real yearly figure, then compare a cool wash against a hot one to see the difference for yourself.
How to cut washing machine running costs
- Wash at 30 °C for everyday loads — heating the water is where nearly all the energy goes.
- Run full loads rather than several half loads; the heating and pumping are similar either way.
- Use the eco programme: it is longer but uses less water and heat, which is what costs money.
- A high spin speed leaves clothes drier and cuts the far more expensive dryer time afterwards.
- Only use a hot wash for heavily soiled items, towels or bedding that genuinely need it.
Frequently asked questions
Why measure per cycle instead of watts and hours?
A washing machine's energy depends on the programme, not run time. Two cycles of the same length can use very different amounts because one heats water to 60 °C and the other to 30 °C. Energy per cycle captures that directly.
How much does one wash cost?
At about 0.9 kWh a cycle and a price of $0.17/kWh, a wash costs roughly $0.15. A hot 60 °C cotton cycle can cost two to three times more because of the extra water heating.
Where do I find my machine's energy per cycle?
The energy label lists consumption for the standard eco programme, often per 100 cycles — divide by 100 for one cycle. A plug-in power meter gives the exact figure for the programmes you actually use.