Laundry & Cleaning
An 800 watt washing machine costs about $0.14 to run for 1 hour at $0.17 per kWh.
Quick estimate
This uses 800 watts, 1 hours per day, and an electricity rate of $0.17 per kWh.
Washers use less electricity than dryers, especially when washing with cold water.
Many washing machine units fall around 800 watts, with a rough range of 400 to 1400 watts. Check the product label, user manual, or manufacturer specifications for the most accurate number.
| Estimate | Watts | Hours per day | Daily cost | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low estimate | 400W | 0.50 | $0.03 | $1.02 |
| Typical use | 800W | 1 | $0.14 | $4.08 |
| High estimate | 1400W | 1.50 | $0.36 | $10.71 |
Convert watts to kilowatts, multiply by the number of hours used, then multiply by your electricity rate.
Cost = Watts / 1000 x Hours Used x Electricity RateFor this washing machine example: 800 / 1000 x 1 x 0.17 = $0.14 per day.
These details make this estimate more useful for real-world use.
The washer motor usually uses far less energy than heating water. If hot water is supplied by an electric water heater, warm or hot cycles can shift much of the real cost to water heating rather than the washing machine alone.
A faster final spin can remove more water from clothes before they go into the dryer. That may not change washer electricity much, but it can reduce dryer runtime, which is often the more expensive part of laundry.
Wash full loads with cold water whenever fabric care allows.
The easiest way to improve the estimate is to replace the default values with your actual wattage, average runtime, and local electricity rate.
Wattage ranges are practical planning estimates for common household appliances. Actual use can differ by model, age, settings, room conditions, and maintenance.
An 800 watt washing machine costs about $0.14 to run for 1 hour at $0.17 per kWh.
Use the wattage printed on the appliance label when possible. As a starting estimate, this page uses 800 watts and shows a common range of 400 to 1400 watts.
Electricity bills include many appliances, fees, taxes, seasonal changes, and utility rate structures. This calculator estimates appliance energy cost only.
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