Washing machine vs clothes dryer: which costs less to run?
$115 a year less with washing machine
- Washing machine, a month
- $1.28
- Clothes dryer, a month
- $10.84
- Difference, a month
- $9.56
Each at its typical use: washing machine one 1-hour load, 4 days a week (motor only); clothes dryer one 1-hour load, 4 days a week. At the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Side by side
| Washing machine | Clothes dryer | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 400 W | 3,400 W |
| An hour | $0.07 | $0.62 |
| A day | $0.07 | $0.62 |
| A month | $1.28 | $10.84 |
| A year | $15.30 | $130.06 |
| Energy a year | 83.4 kWh | 709 kWh |
In the 10 largest states
Questions
Is it cheaper to run a washing machine or an electric clothes dryer?
Washing machine costs $114.76 less a year ($9.56 a month) at the US average rate. Each at its typical use: washing machine one 1-hour load, 4 days a week (motor only); clothes dryer one 1-hour load, 4 days a week.
How much more does clothes dryer cost to run?
About 8.5 times as much: $130.06 a year versus $15.30.
How much does a washing machine cost per hour?
$0.07 an hour, against $0.62 an hour for an electric clothes dryer, at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Does the answer change by state?
The ratio between the two stays the same everywhere because both use the same electricity; the dollar gap grows where rates are higher. See the table of the 10 most populous states above.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- Southern California Edison: Appliance energy use
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.