How Much Does It Cost to Run a Washing Machine? $1/Month

500 W (300–1,000 W)Typical power draw

0.6 h/day, 17.3 days/monthAssumed use

0.30 kWhEnergy per day

Updated September 2026 · Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

On this page: Calculator Table How we calculated Sources

Power draw (watts) — typical for washing machine: 300–1,000 W; check your label Hours per day for a washing machine — effective run-hours Days per month — 30 = every day Months used per year — 12 for washing machine; seasonal loads do not run all year Quick-fill your state's EIA average rate Your rate (¢/kWh) — 17¢ = EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢)

Energy used: — per day

Cost per hour: —

Cost per day: —

Cost per month in use: —

Cost per year: —

a washing machine: energy cost only (500 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate); fixed fees and taxes extra.

What changes if… Electricity rates move Compare it with charging an EV at home

Slider nudges the rate for a washing machine; the URL keeps it.

## How much does it cost to run a washing machine?

The same a washing machine at 0.6 hours a day costs $0.62 a month at 12¢ and $2.34 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: How Much Does It Cost to Run a Washing Machine? $1/Month
Electricity rate	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
12¢/kWh	$0.060	$0.04	$0.62	$7
15¢/kWh	$0.075	$0.04	$0.78	$9
17¢/kWh (US avg)	$0.085	$0.05	$0.88	$11
20¢/kWh	$0.100	$0.06	$1.04	$12
25¢/kWh	$0.125	$0.07	$1.30	$16
30¢/kWh	$0.150	$0.09	$1.56	$19
35¢/kWh	$0.175	$0.10	$1.82	$22
45¢/kWh	$0.225	$0.14	$2.34	$28

Typical power draw: 500 W (300–1,000 W)
Assumed use: 0.6 h/day, 17.3 days/month
Energy per day: 0.30 kWh
Cost per day: $0.05
Cost per month: $0.88
Cost per year: $11

Why this number

Running a washing machine at 500 watts for 0.6 hours a day costs about $0.05 a day and $0.88 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $11 a year. The formula for a washing machine: 500 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a washing machine your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $0.62, at 45¢/kWh it costs $2.34.

A washing machine rated at 500 watts, run 0.6 hours a day, costs about $0.05 a day — about $0.88 a month, or $11 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 39th of the 40 appliances tracked here, near the bottom. It is not where a high bill comes from, and switching it off will not rescue one.

What actually drives this number

The motor uses little; the cost is in hot water, which is billed to your water heater rather than to the machine. Washing cold is therefore a far bigger saving than the machine’s own rating suggests. About four loads a week.

For a washing machine the unit that matters is the kilowatt-hour, not the kilowatt : 500 W is only the rate of use, and 0.6 hours a day is what turns it into the 62 kWh a year you are actually billed for. On that yearly measure its nearest always-on neighbor is the water softener at about 26 kWh.

Where this number comes from

Benchmark: 62 kWh/year — EIA RECS 2020, Table CE5.3a puts the average clothes washer’s own draw at 69 kWh/yr
Assumed use for a washing machine: 0.6 h/day, 17.3 days/month, 12 months/year — every one of these is editable in the calculator above
Rate for a washing machine: 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A ; the state selector above fills in yours

Putting Washing machine in proportion

At 17¢/kWh, a washing machine next to the rest of the bill:

Washing machine at $0.88 a month is about 2x what Water softener costs ($0.37), and just under CPAP machine at $0.91
One hour of a washing machine uses as much as roughly an hour of a typical always-on device
Over a year a washing machine comes to $11 — about 0.1 months of a $150 monthly electricity bill

For a washing machine: this is an always-on load, and that is the whole story. Washing machine’s wattage is unremarkable; the 24-hour duty cycle is what puts a washing machine where it is. Reducing run-hours is usually impossible for a washing machine, which makes efficiency at purchase time the only real decision. On this site’s own numbers, a washing machine lands at #39 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $0.88 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 500 W arithmetic for a washing machine, step by step:

Watts to kilowatts. 500 W ÷ 1,000 = 0.50 kW.
Energy per day. 0.50 kW × 0.6 hours = 0.30 kWh.
Cost per day. 0.30 kWh × $0.17 = $0.05.
Cost per month. $0.05 × 17.3 days = $0.88.

For a washing machine the two levers are run-hours (0.6 h/day here) and your rate; used this briefly, even 500 W costs little — which is why always-on loads dominate the rankings.

Other always-on loads: Water softener ($4/yr), Wi-Fi router and modem ($22/yr), LED grow light ($27/yr). Closest on annual cost: CPAP machine ($11/yr), Ceiling fan ($11/yr). Across all other always-on loads here, the priciest is Pool pump at $40.80/mo.

The a washing machine table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .

Put a washing machine ($0.88 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a washing machine per hour?

About $0.085 an hour for a washing machine at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 500 W unit. The calculation is 500 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.150.

How much does a washing machine add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $0.88 a month for a washing machine at 0.6 hours a day, 17.3 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $11 a year if you use it that much year-round. For a washing machine, change the 0.6-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 500 W does.

How many watts does a washing machine use?

Typically around 500 W, with real units ranging from about 300 to 1,000 W depending on size, model and setting. The nameplate on your own unit is the figure to trust — these are typical values for planning, not a measurement of your appliance.

Why is my actual bill higher than the a washing machine figure?

$0.88 a month is the energy cost of a washing machine alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a washing machine for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a washing machine: 500 W ÷ 1,000 × 0.6 h × $0.17 = $0.05 a day; × 17.3 days = $0.88 a month; × 12 months in use = $11 a year. 500 W and 0.6 h are the typical figures cited for a washing machine; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

Where to go next

Cost to run water softener — The next cheaper item on the list: $0.37 a month against a washing machine’s $0.88.
Cost to run cpap machine — The next pricier item: $0.91 a month, which puts a washing machine in proportion.
All 40 appliances ranked by monthly cost — Washing machine is 39 of 40; the full ranking at 17¢/kWh.
Electricity cost calculator — Any wattage and hours, not just a washing machine — with the state quick-fill.
Find your electricity rate by ZIP — Your own utility’s average rate, sent straight into the a washing machine calculator.