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How much does it cost to run a washing machine?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.31¢ per kilowatt-hour (July 2026), running a washing machine costs about $23.80 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 48.00¢ across the country.
- Per cycle
- 9.2¢
- Per day
- 6.5¢
- Per month
- $1.98
- Per year
- $23.80
Assumption: 0.50 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week — 130 kWh a year. A front-loader on a warm cycle, including the water heating attributable to the wash. A cold wash lands closer to 0.15 kWh.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $1.38 | $16.54 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | $1.38 | $16.60 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | $1.42 | $17.06 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | $1.45 | $17.43 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | $1.49 | $17.82 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | $1.49 | $17.85 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | $1.49 | $17.91 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | $1.50 | $17.95 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | $1.55 | $18.63 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | $1.55 | $18.65 |
| Wyoming | 14.36¢ | $1.56 | $18.67 |
| Mississippi | 14.54¢ | $1.58 | $18.90 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $1.59 | $19.12 |
| Montana | 14.99¢ | $1.62 | $19.49 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $1.63 | $19.54 |
| North Carolina | 15.16¢ | $1.64 | $19.71 |
| Kansas | 15.27¢ | $1.65 | $19.85 |
| South Dakota | 15.37¢ | $1.67 | $19.98 |
| Arizona | 15.38¢ | $1.67 | $19.99 |
| South Carolina | 15.47¢ | $1.68 | $20.11 |
| West Virginia | 15.78¢ | $1.71 | $20.51 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $1.72 | $20.64 |
| Oregon | 15.97¢ | $1.73 | $20.76 |
| Iowa | 15.99¢ | $1.73 | $20.79 |
| Missouri | 16.09¢ | $1.74 | $20.92 |
| New Mexico | 16.09¢ | $1.74 | $20.92 |
| Georgia | 16.27¢ | $1.76 | $21.15 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.78 | $21.32 |
| Indiana | 16.73¢ | $1.81 | $21.75 |
| Colorado | 17.00¢ | $1.84 | $22.10 |
| Minnesota | 17.45¢ | $1.89 | $22.68 |
| Virginia | 17.55¢ | $1.90 | $22.82 |
| Delaware | 18.48¢ | $2.00 | $24.02 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06¢ | $2.06 | $24.78 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $2.08 | $24.99 |
| Ohio | 19.45¢ | $2.11 | $25.29 |
| Maryland | 21.41¢ | $2.32 | $27.83 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72¢ | $2.35 | $28.24 |
| Michigan | 23.05¢ | $2.50 | $29.96 |
| Vermont | 23.75¢ | $2.57 | $30.88 |
| Connecticut | 24.16¢ | $2.62 | $31.41 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | $2.73 | $32.75 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | $2.73 | $32.77 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | $2.88 | $34.58 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | $3.06 | $36.78 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | $3.12 | $37.48 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $3.24 | $38.87 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | $3.30 | $39.64 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | $3.51 | $42.13 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $3.64 | $43.69 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $5.20 | $62.40 |
Cutting the number down
- Almost all of a washer's energy is water heating, so switching to cold is close to switching the appliance off, energy-wise.
- Modern detergents are formulated for cold water; the hot-wash habit outlived the chemistry that required it.
Questions
- How many watts does a washing machine use?
- Usage is better expressed as 0.50 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week.
- How much does a washing machine cost per month?
- About $1.98 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $23.80 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Louisiana, at $16.54 a year, versus $62.40 in Hawaii — a spread of $45.86.