How much does a washing machine cost to run?
At the current average residential rate of 18.34¢ per kWh, a typical 500 W washing machine costs about 5¢ per load — around 79¢ a month and $9.54 a year at 4 loads a week.
The rate and formula behind these numbers
kWh per load = watts × hours ÷ 1,000, and cost = kWh × rate. The yearly figure assumes the same weekly pattern all year (× 52); the monthly figure is the yearly one ÷ 12.
Electricity rate: 18.34¢ per kWh — the US EIA Electric Power Monthly for June 2026, the latest month EIA has published (US average across all states). Source: US EIA Electric Power Monthly. Checked September 2, 2026. It excludes the fixed monthly customer charge, which you pay regardless of use.
A US washer looks cheap to run on paper, and the reason is a quirk of plumbing rather than efficiency: most machines here draw hot water from the home water heater instead of heating it themselves, so the cost of a hot wash lands on that appliance, not this one. The number below is the machine alone — motor, pump and controls. Wash cold and it is very close to the whole story; wash hot and your water heater is quietly running up a second bill.