How much does it cost per year?

With 4 times a week it uses about 125 kWh a year: about $22 · £32 at $0.18/kWh and £0.26/kWh.

Wash at 30 °C or on the Eco programme: modern detergents clean everyday laundry well, and you save more than a third compared with 60 °C. Run full loads: a half load uses almost as much energy as a full one.

🫧 Washing machine

How much electricity does a washing machine use? Cost per wash at 30, 40 and 60 °C

Washing machine electricity use per wash and per year by temperature and energy class, with the cost on your bill.

Per wash

0.6 kWh

Cost per wash

$0.108 · £0.156

Per year · 125 kWh

$22 · £32

With 4 times a week, electricity at $0.18/kWh and £0.26/kWh all-in.

About 90% of the energy a washing machine uses goes into heating water, so consumption depends mostly on temperature, not on how long the programme runs. A 40 °C wash uses about 0.65 kWh, a 60 °C wash about 1 kWh, a 90 °C wash almost three times as much.

The Eco 40-60 programme is long (up to 3 hours) but uses the least: it washes at a lower temperature and makes up for it with time. It’s the programme used to rate the energy class on the label.

Consumption compared

Type	Usage	kWh/year	Cost/year
Cold / 20 °C wash	0.3 kWh / wash	62	$11 · £16
Eco 40-60 programme (class A)	0.5 kWh / wash	104	$19 · £27
40 °C	0.65 kWh / wash	135	$24 · £35
60 °C	1 kWh / wash	208	$37 · £54
90 °C	1.8 kWh / wash	374	$67 · £97
Old machine (class D or lower) at 40 °C	1.1 kWh / wash	229	$41 · £59

Yearly cost with 4 times a week.

Work out your cost

Energy per washkWhTimes per weektimesElectricity price$/kWh

Per wash: $0.11
Per month: $1.87
Per year: $22
Energy per year: 124.8 kWh

The price is a typical all-in figure for your country: replace it with yours (bill total ÷ kWh).

How to use less

Wash at 30 °C or on the Eco programme: modern detergents clean everyday laundry well, and you save more than a third compared with 60 °C.
Run full loads: a half load uses almost as much energy as a full one.
With a time-of-use tariff or solar panels, run the machine when power is cheapest or the panels are producing.

Lower-energy modelsCompare prices and energy labels on AmazonAmazon ↗

FAQ

How much electricity does a washing machine use?: About 0.6 kWh per wash, from 0.25 kWh to 2 kWh depending on model and programme.
How much does it cost per year?: With 4 times a week it uses about 125 kWh a year: about $22 · £32 at $0.18/kWh and £0.26/kWh.
How can I reduce it?: Wash at 30 °C or on the Eco programme: modern detergents clean everyday laundry well, and you save more than a third compared with 60 °C. Run full loads: a half load uses almost as much energy as a full one.

And what does your whole home use?

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Consumption compared

How to use less

FAQ

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