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How much does it cost to run a washing machine?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.16¢ per kilowatt-hour (August 2026), running a washing machine costs about $23.61 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 12.72¢ to 47.18¢ across the country.
- Per cycle
- 9.1¢
- Per day
- 6.5¢
- Per month
- $1.97
- Per year
- $23.61
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 12.72¢ | $1.38 | $16.54 |
| Louisiana | 12.87¢ | $1.39 | $16.73 |
| North Dakota | 13.31¢ | $1.44 | $17.30 |
| Utah | 13.31¢ | $1.44 | $17.30 |
| Idaho | 13.37¢ | $1.45 | $17.38 |
| Tennessee | 13.42¢ | $1.45 | $17.45 |
| Nebraska | 13.54¢ | $1.47 | $17.60 |
| Kentucky | 13.80¢ | $1.50 | $17.94 |
| Arkansas | 14.37¢ | $1.56 | $18.68 |
| Mississippi | 14.43¢ | $1.56 | $18.76 |
| Wyoming | 14.43¢ | $1.56 | $18.76 |
| Washington | 14.63¢ | $1.58 | $19.02 |
| Oklahoma | 14.82¢ | $1.61 | $19.27 |
| North Carolina | 14.95¢ | $1.62 | $19.43 |
| Florida | 14.99¢ | $1.62 | $19.49 |
| Arizona | 15.05¢ | $1.63 | $19.56 |
| South Dakota | 15.15¢ | $1.64 | $19.70 |
| Kansas | 15.47¢ | $1.68 | $20.11 |
| Montana | 15.57¢ | $1.69 | $20.24 |
| South Carolina | 15.76¢ | $1.71 | $20.49 |
| Georgia | 15.90¢ | $1.72 | $20.67 |
| Texas | 15.91¢ | $1.72 | $20.68 |
| Oregon | 15.92¢ | $1.72 | $20.70 |
| Missouri | 16.02¢ | $1.74 | $20.83 |
| West Virginia | 16.31¢ | $1.77 | $21.20 |
| Alabama | 16.33¢ | $1.77 | $21.23 |
| New Mexico | 16.51¢ | $1.79 | $21.46 |
| Indiana | 17.02¢ | $1.84 | $22.13 |
| Iowa | 17.06¢ | $1.85 | $22.18 |
| Colorado | 17.17¢ | $1.86 | $22.32 |
| Minnesota | 17.20¢ | $1.86 | $22.36 |
| Virginia | 17.64¢ | $1.91 | $22.93 |
| Delaware | 18.70¢ | $2.03 | $24.31 |
| Illinois | 19.32¢ | $2.09 | $25.12 |
| Ohio | 19.38¢ | $2.10 | $25.19 |
| Wisconsin | 19.41¢ | $2.10 | $25.23 |
| Maryland | 21.40¢ | $2.32 | $27.82 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.77¢ | $2.36 | $28.30 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $2.49 | $29.89 |
| Vermont | 23.84¢ | $2.58 | $30.99 |
| Connecticut | 24.51¢ | $2.66 | $31.86 |
| New Jersey | 24.61¢ | $2.67 | $31.99 |
| District of Columbia | 25.98¢ | $2.81 | $33.77 |
| New Hampshire | 27.64¢ | $2.99 | $35.93 |
| Rhode Island | 28.18¢ | $3.05 | $36.63 |
| New York | 28.65¢ | $3.10 | $37.24 |
| Alaska | 29.41¢ | $3.19 | $38.23 |
| California | 29.75¢ | $3.22 | $38.67 |
| Massachusetts | 30.48¢ | $3.30 | $39.62 |
| Maine | 32.11¢ | $3.48 | $41.74 |
| Hawaii | 47.18¢ | $5.11 | $61.33 |
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 $1.97 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $23.61 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $16.54 a year, versus $61.33 in Hawaii — a spread of $44.80.