How much does a washing machine cost per month in California?

About $3.22 a month, assuming 0.50 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week at 29.75¢/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?

California has the 4th most expensive average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs more here than the U.S. average of $23.61 a year.

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Cost to run a washing machine in California (August 2026 rates)

At 29.75¢ per kilowatt-hour — California's average residential price in August 2026 — running a washing machine costs $38.67 a year. That is 64% more than the national average of $23.61. California's residential rate is down 3.8% from August 2025, which moves this appliance from $40.20 to $38.67 a year.

Per cycle: 14.9¢
Per day: 10.6¢
Per month: $3.22
Per year: $38.67

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 California compares

California pays 29.75¢/kWh, the 4th most expensive residential electricity of the 51 U.S. jurisdictions EIA reports. For this appliance that works out to $15.07 more a year than the typical U.S. household pays for the same use. Running the same washing machine costs $16.54 a year in Nevada and $61.33 in Hawaii, so where you live changes this bill by $44.80 a year.

State	Rate	Per month	Per year
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

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

What else costs about the same in California

Air fryer$37.48 a year in CA Laptop$35.70 a year in CA Box fan$33.47 a year in CA

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 California?: About $3.22 a month, assuming 0.50 kWh per cycle, 5 cycles a week at 29.75¢/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?: California has the 4th most expensive average residential rate in the country, so this appliance costs more here than the U.S. average of $23.61 a year.