How much does a washing machine cost per month in South Carolina?

About $1.68 a month, assuming 0.50 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week at 15.47¢/kWh.

How many kilowatt-hours does a washing machine use?

Roughly 130 kWh a year under these assumptions.

Is that expensive compared with other states?

South Carolina has the 20th cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $23.80 a year.

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Cost to run a washing machine in South Carolina (July 2026 rates)

At 15.47¢ per kilowatt-hour — South Carolina's average residential price in July 2026 — running a washing machine costs $20.11 a year. That is 16% less than the national average of $23.80. South Carolina's residential rate is up 5.2% from July 2025, which moves this appliance from $19.11 to $20.11 a year.

Per cycle: 7.7¢
Per day: 5.5¢
Per month: $1.68
Per year: $20.11

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. Use the calculator to swap in the numbers from your own model.

How South Carolina compares

South Carolina pays 15.47¢/kWh, the 20th cheapest residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $3.69 less a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same washing machine costs $16.54 a year in Louisiana and $62.40 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $45.86 a year.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
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

States ranked by average residential price, cheapest first. See all 51 states for a washing machine.

What else costs about the same in South Carolina

Air fryer$19.49 a year in SC Laptop$18.56 a year in SC Box fan$17.40 a year in SC

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 much does a washing machine cost per month in South Carolina?: About $1.68 a month, assuming 0.50 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week at 15.47¢/kWh.
How many kilowatt-hours does a washing machine use?: Roughly 130 kWh a year under these assumptions.
Is that expensive compared with other states?: South Carolina has the 20th cheapest average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs less here than the U.S. average of $23.80 a year.