Cost to run a washing machine
A typical cycle uses 0.38 kWh, which costs 9.99p at 26.32p/kWh. At 4 cycles a week, that comes to £20.84 a year.
Each cycle costs
9.99p a cycle
That is 0.38 kWh. Used as set, it comes to £1.74 a month and £20.84 a year.
On the energy label, or in the manual for the programme you use.
| Period | Cost | Energy | CO2e |
|---|---|---|---|
| A cycle | 9.99p | 0.38 kWh | 83 g |
| A week | 40p | 1.52 kWh | 330 g |
| A month | £1.74 | 6.60 kWh | 1.4 kg |
| A year | £20.84 | 79.2 kWh | 17.2 kg |
How we calculated this
Each cycle uses 0.38 kWh, the kind of figure an energy label or test gives for a whole cycle, heating and all. A hotter or longer programme uses more.
The figures are for ENERGY STAR certified models sold in the US and Canada. Certified models are more efficient than the average model on sale, and many are larger than the ones sold in Europe, so an older or less efficient one will use more. The energy for a load is ENERGY STAR’s annual figure divided by the 295 loads it is based on, and it includes heating the water with an electric water heater. A UK machine heats its own water and is often run hotter than the test, so it may use more. The power is Centre for Sustainable Energy’s average rating, and the low figure Virginia Tech’s far lower range for a clothes washer, which is the machine’s own draw when the water is heated elsewhere. The starting number of loads is the survey’s median.
The starting use for a washing machine, 4 cycles a week, is where the calculator starts, not a measurement of your home: change it to how you use yours. A day is the average across the week, and a month is a twelfth of a 365-day year.
Electricity costs 26.32p/kWh. That is the published figure for the United Kingdom, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2026, from Ofgem. Average for England, Scotland and Wales, paying by Direct Debit. No VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Standing charges are left out: you pay them whether or not the appliance runs.
Emissions use 0.217 kg CO2e per kWh, the lifecycle intensity of electricity generated in the United Kingdom in 2025, from Ember, via Our World in Data. Lifecycle means building the power stations and supplying their fuel are counted too. It is the grid’s average, not the particular power station an extra appliance brings on.
What drives the cost
A washing machine costs a load, not an hour: across 367 certified models the median uses 0.38 kWh a load, including the energy to heat the water, which costs 9.99p at 26.32p/kWh. At 4 cycles a week that comes to £20.84 a year.
Also called: washer, clothes washer.
What it costs in the UK, Europe and the US
For a washing machine used as typical (4 cycles a week), at each country’s published average electricity price.
| Country | Electricity price | A cycle |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 26.32p/kWh | 9.99p |
| United States (average) | 18.19¢/kWh | 6.91¢ |
| Ireland | €0.4042/kWh | €0.15 |
| Germany | 0,3869 €/kWh | 0,15 € |
| France | 0,2561 €/kWh | 0,097 € |
| Spain | 0,2669 €/kWh | 0,10 € |
| Italy | 0,2966 €/kWh | 0,11 € |
| Netherlands | € 0,2558/kWh | € 0,097 |
Compared with similar appliances
| Appliance | Typical power | An hour | A year, typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washing machine | 2,100 W | — | £20.84 |
| Tumble dryer | 2,500 W | — | £58.96 |
| Condenser tumble dryer | 1,003 W | — | £30.74 |
| Dishwasher | 1,800 W | — | £61.26 |
How to spend less on it
- Wash cooler: heating the water is a large part of what a wash costs, and modern detergents work at low temperatures.
- Run full loads: a half-empty drum uses nearly as much energy as a full one, so fewer, fuller washes cost less.
- Use the eco programme if there is one. It takes longer but usually uses less, because it heats the water less.
- Spin fast, and dry outside or on a rack where you can: the dryer costs more than the wash.
Questions
How much does a washing machine cost per cycle?
A typical cycle uses 0.38 kWh, which costs 9.99p at 26.32p/kWh.
How much does a washing machine cost to run a year?
Used 4 cycles a week, it costs about £20.84 a year at 26.32p/kWh, or £1.74 a month.
How many watts does a washing machine use?
Most draw between 350 W and 2,100 W while running, and 2,100 W is typical. The rating is on the label or in the manual.
How much does a wash cost?
A typical certified washing machine uses 0.38 kWh a load, which costs 9.99p at 26.32p/kWh. Across models most use between 0.254 kWh a load and 0.6 kWh a load, and a hotter programme, or an older or larger machine, uses more.
How often do people use a washing machine?
The UK government’s Energy Follow-Up Survey found a median of four loads a week, which is the starting figure here. Your own household may wash more or less often.
Sources
- ENERGY STAR Certified Residential Clothes Washers (open data), ENERGY STAR, US Environmental Protection Agency, 26 September 2026. “ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers, energy per load: median 0.38 kWh a load across 367 certified models, 10th to 90th percentile 0.254 kWh a load to 0.6 kWh a load (models where special_type IS NULL).”
- How much electricity am I using?, Centre for Sustainable Energy, July 2026. “Washing machine (2100 W)”
- ENERGY SERIES: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, 26 February 2020. “Clothes washer = 350–500”
- Energy Follow-Up Survey 2011, Report 9: Domestic appliances, cooking & cooling equipment, BRE for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, December 2013. “The median number of washing loads per week is 4”
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