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Laundry Electricity Cost

Add washing, electric water heating and drying for the same weekly loads. Use your cycle measurements or compare two certified dryer ratings. Starting entered values are illustrative.

One comparable laundry routine

Rating-based benchmark. Uses LG DLEX5500* and DLHC5502* annual energy divided by 283, then multiplied by your machine-dried loads. This includes allocated standby/off-mode energy; it is not a measured active cycle. See exact records and limits.

Both scenarios use the same number and size of loads; annual totals use 52 weeks.

A plug measurement includes any internal electric heater, but not a separate household water heater.

Used only for separate electric heating. Enter measured or defensible allocated energy, not gallons.

0 means all loads use the dryer; 100 means all are air dried.

Keep both air-dried shares equal to isolate the dryer-energy difference.

Use a measured full cycle for your load size. Electricity only; excludes gas fuel.

Use comparable load size, remaining moisture and dryness. This need not be a heat-pump dryer.

Electricity price

Used only when you choose your own rate. Include variable supply, delivery and taxes.

Find the variable rate on your bill

State averages include fixed-charge revenue spread across kWh. They give benchmark costs; avoided bill charges depend on your own variable rate. Compare full tariff costs.

Reset example

Certified-rating scenario. Dryer energy is a test-cycle equivalent with allocated standby/off-mode energy. Washing and separate water heating remain your entered values. Actual loads, idle time and room conditions can change consumption.

Current routine: washing through drying

$0.61 per washed load, averaged

Includes dryer energy only for the share of loads you machine dry. Water, sewer, detergent, gas, purchase costs and unentered standby energy are excluded.

Average month
$13.27
52-week year
$159.24
Annual electricity
870 kWh

18.31¢/kWh · US EIA residential benchmark, 2026-07

Electricity per washed load
StagekWh
Washer (including any heating already entered)0.400
Separate electric water heating0.800
Drying, averaged over all washed loads2.145
Total3.345

Same washing, different drying

The alternative costs $101.87 per year. Current minus alternative is $57.36; a negative difference means higher cost.

Removing only the entered separate water-heating energy would reduce the estimate by $38.08 per year. Washer cycles may use different motor or internal-heating energy, so measure those separately when comparing hot and cold settings.

Assumptions: 5 loads/week; 0.4 washer kWh/load; water mode separate; current dryer 2.14488 kWh/test-cycle equivalent with 0% air dried; alternative 0.93993 kWh/test-cycle equivalent with 0% air dried.

Current dryer: LG DLEX5500*, 260.00 equivalent cycles/year. Alternative: LG DLHC5502*, 260.00 equivalent cycles/year. Rating energy is scaled linearly; standby does not necessarily scale with your actual cycle count.

Download CSV

The CSV includes the entered assumptions. Scenario URLs contain these inputs and may remain in browser history or hosting logs.

Keep label tests and measured cycles separate

Annual washer ratings can include water heating, and washer efficiency metrics can also include the energy to dry remaining moisture. Do not use an efficiency factor as motor-only kWh or add heating twice. Check the label’s scope and test-cycle count before converting an annual value.

Vented electric and heat-pump rating comparison

These two ENERGY STAR records are standard-size electric dryers with different drum capacities and ventilation systems. The comparison is between their published test ratings, not an assertion that every household load, installation or cycle takes the same energy or time.

Certified dryer records checked September 27, 2026
RecordTypeDrum cu ftCEF lb/kWhRated kWh/yearTest minutes
LG DLEX5500*
ID 2404550 · certified 2022-11-14		Vented electric7.43.9460757
LG DLHC5502*
ID 2669197 · certified 2023-09-28		Ventless heat pump7.89.0026668

The dataset defines estimated annual energy using CEF and 283 cycles/year. CEF includes allocated standby and off-mode energy as well as drying energy. Dividing the published annual numbers by 283 gives 2.14488 and 0.93993 kWh per test-cycle equivalent. Do not multiply those values by test minutes or add the same allocated standby again.

At your selected 18.31 cents/kWh, the unchanged annual ratings cost $111.14 for the vented model and $48.70 for the heat-pump model. That is a $62.44 difference at the rating's 283-cycle basis, before purchase or installation costs. It is separate from the routine you entered above.

Load the certified pair with no air drying. That link resets the routine to the example. Use measured cycle energy for your own load size, remaining moisture, dryness setting and real idle periods. Neither record's test minutes predicts your cycle duration.

The calculation is (washer + separate electric water heating + dryer × machine-dried share) × loads × rate. Air drying assumes zero direct drying electricity; extra indoor heating, cooling or dehumidifying is excluded. Compare loads dried to an equivalent result and include those effects if relevant.

Sources checked September 27, 2026. Record certification dates are shown beside each model. These are source records, not a claim about current stock or purchase suitability.

Washer motor example · Dryer running cost · Add laundry to a household estimate