How much does a washing machine cost to run in Massachusetts?
$2.06 a month
- A day of use
- $0.12
- An hour of running
- $0.12
- A year
- $24.70
400 W, one 1-hour load, 4 days a week (motor only), at Massachusetts’s average rate of 29.6¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a day typical | $0.12 | $2.06 | $24.70 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.24 | $4.12 | $49.41 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.47 | $8.23 | $98.81 |
| 8 hours a day | $0.95 | $16.47 | $197.63 |
| 24 hours a day | $2.84 | $49.41 | $592.88 |
Models range from 300 W to 500 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 400 W, the middle of that range.
Massachusetts compared with other states
Massachusetts’s residential rate is the 3rd most expensive of 51 states and DC, 11.3¢ above the US average of 18.3¢ (+61%). Massachusetts’s rate is down 0.7¢ from June 2025 (30.3¢, −2.4%).
Ways to spend less
- Wash in cold water; heating the water uses far more energy than the motor, and it is billed on your water heater.
- Wash full loads. Saves about $0.51 a month.
- Use the high-spin setting so clothes need less time in the dryer.
Questions
How much does it cost to run a washing machine per hour?
About $0.12 an hour in Massachusetts. A washing machine at 400 W uses 0.400 kWh per hour, and at Massachusetts’s average of 29.6¢ per kWh that comes to $0.12.
How much does a washing machine add to your electric bill?
Used one 1-hour load, 4 days a week (motor only), about $2.06 a month in Massachusetts, or $24.70 a year.
How much does it cost to run a washing machine 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a washing machine would use 9.60 kWh a day and cost $2.84 a day, or $86.46 over an average month in Massachusetts.
How many watts does a washing machine use?
Models range from 300 W to 500 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). We use 400 W, the middle of that range. Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Why does a washing machine cost more or less to run in Massachusetts than elsewhere?
Massachusetts’s residential rate is the 3rd most expensive of 51 states and DC, 11.3¢ above the US average of 18.3¢ (+61%). Massachusetts’s rate is down 0.7¢ from June 2025 (30.3¢, −2.4%). The appliance uses the same energy everywhere; only the price per kWh changes.
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.
- Carrier page: June 2026 residential average price, citing EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.