What laundry & water appliances cost to run
Heating water is the expensive part. A washing machine barely registers; the dryer that follows it, and the tank quietly reheating itself all day, are what show up on the bill.
| Appliance | Per month | Per year | On this assumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clothes dryer (electric) | $9.61 | $115 | 3 kWh a cycle, 4 cycles a week |
| Washing machine | $1.71 | $20.53 | 0.5 kWh a cycle, 4 cycles a week |
| Water heater (electric tank) | $68.99 | $827 | 4,000W running 13% of 24 h |
| Tankless water heater (electric) | $47.76 | $573 | 18,000W running 2% of 24 h |
| Well pump | $7.96 | $95.45 | 1,000W running 6% of 24 h |
| Sump pump | $2.12 | $25.45 | 800W running 2% of 24 h |
| Clothes iron | $1.22 | $14.58 | 0.39 kWh a cycle, 4 cycles a week |
Each figure comes from that appliance's own usage model — a fridge is costed on how much of the day its compressor runs, a dishwasher on energy per cycle and cycles per week, an EV on miles driven. Open any calculator to change the assumption to yours.
Data basis
- Electricity price
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B, June 2026 year to date, released 2026-08-26. Retrieved 2026-09-11. Average residential revenue per kWh. A benchmark average, not a utility tariff — it excludes the fixed charges, tiers, time-of-use windows, taxes and fuel adjustments on a real bill.
- International prices
- rounded typical household tariffs for each market, in that market's own currency unless the row says US$ equivalent. These are planning benchmarks with no single primary source; enter the per-kWh price from your own bill for an accurate figure.
- Last reviewed
- 20 August 2026. Next scheduled review 20 February 2027.
- Corrections
- Think a figure is wrong? Tell us at corrections@watt-dollar.com and see our corrections policy.
Other categories
Laundry and hot water
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