How Much Electricity Does a Washing Machine Use?

A washing machine draws about 500 watts, or 0.50 kWh per hour. Enter your hours and electricity rate below for the exact cost per day, month and year.

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Wattage is pre-filled with a typical value for a washing machine; change any field for your own device, usage and rate. Cost uses your rate × kWh — a US-average placeholder rate of $0.17/kWh is shown; enter your own from your bill for an accurate figure.

A washing machine in watts and kWh

A washing machine draws about 500 watts while running. Energy is billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh), and one kWh is 1000 watts for one hour — so a washing machine uses 500 ÷ 1000 = 0.50 kWh for every hour it is on. Multiply that by the hours you use it and by your rate per kWh to get the cost. The calculator above does it live; change the wattage if your model differs. Kept up every day of the year at 1 hour a day, that is about 183 kWh — roughly $31.03 at the $0.17/kWh placeholder rate used here.

Cold-water cycles use much less, since heating water is most of the cost.

Wattage moves with size, age and model, so treat 500 W as a mid-range starting point rather than a fixed number — the rating plate on your own appliance, or its ENERGY STAR listing, gives the figure to type in. The rate matters just as much: the US Energy Information Administration publishes current average residential prices by state, and the figure on your own bill is better still. This LK Forge calculator recomputes every result as you type.

How to cut what it costs

Two levers change the bill: hours of use and your rate per kWh. Running high-wattage devices less, or shifting them to off-peak hours on a time-of-use plan, has the biggest effect. For a whole-home estimate or to compare devices, use the full electricity bill & appliance calculator.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much electricity does a washing machine use?
A washing machine uses about 500 watts, or 0.50 kWh for every hour it runs. At 1 hour a day that is about 0.50 kWh per day; multiply by your rate per kWh for the cost. One cycle a day over a 30-day month is about 15 kWh. That covers the machine only — if it fills from a hot tap, the water heater does the expensive part, which is why a cold wash saves more than the 500 W figure suggests.
How much does it cost to run a washing machine?
The cost of running a washing machine is the kWh it uses × your rate per kWh. At a US-average $0.17/kWh and 1 hour a day, a washing machine costs about $0.09 a day and $2.55 a month. Enter your own rate above for an exact figure.
How is this calculated?
Electricity use for a washing machine is calculated from watts: energy in kWh equals watts divided by 1000, multiplied by the hours of use. Cost is that kWh figure multiplied by your electricity rate. Your rate per kWh is on your utility bill.
How much does a washing machine cost to run per year?
Running a washing machine for 1 hour a day, every day, uses about 183 kWh a year. At the US-average placeholder rate of $0.17/kWh that is roughly $31.03 a year. Change the hours or the rate above and the yearly figure updates with them.