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How much does it cost to run a washing machine?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running a washing machine costs about $23.84 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per cycle
- 9.2¢
- Per day
- 6.5¢
- Per month
- $1.99
- Per year
- $23.84
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 | 13.11¢ | $1.42 | $17.04 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | $1.44 | $17.23 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | $1.45 | $17.38 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | $1.46 | $17.54 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $1.52 | $18.29 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $1.53 | $18.36 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $1.53 | $18.36 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $1.54 | $18.54 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $1.55 | $18.63 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $1.56 | $18.68 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $1.60 | $19.16 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $1.61 | $19.34 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $1.62 | $19.38 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $1.63 | $19.58 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $1.64 | $19.63 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $1.64 | $19.68 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $1.64 | $19.73 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $1.65 | $19.81 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $1.66 | $19.97 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $1.67 | $20.09 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $1.68 | $20.21 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $1.70 | $20.42 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $1.73 | $20.71 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $1.73 | $20.72 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $1.76 | $21.09 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $1.77 | $21.22 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $1.77 | $21.27 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.78 | $21.32 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $1.86 | $22.27 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $1.87 | $22.39 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $1.90 | $22.76 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $1.90 | $22.78 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $2.08 | $24.95 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $2.09 | $25.08 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $2.12 | $25.43 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $2.15 | $25.86 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $2.35 | $28.25 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $2.37 | $28.39 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $2.49 | $29.89 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $2.63 | $31.62 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $2.64 | $31.71 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $2.65 | $31.77 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $2.70 | $32.44 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $2.93 | $35.11 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $3.06 | $36.67 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $3.17 | $38.00 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $3.19 | $38.34 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $3.21 | $38.47 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $3.21 | $38.49 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $3.76 | $45.16 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $5.71 | $68.54 |
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 $1.99 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $23.84 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $17.04 a year, versus $68.54 in Hawaii — a spread of $51.49.