Washing Machine Cost

What a load of washing really costs, adding up electricity, water and detergent, and what the dryer adds over a year.

Each wash costs

—

Each wash costs—

Of electricity—

Of water—

Of detergent—

Washing a year—

Drying a year—

Total a year—

Water used a year—

How this was worked out

The formula

cost = kWh × price per kWh + litres ÷ 1,000 × price per m³ + detergent

Where it comes from

The three parts are worked out separately because they do not weigh the same. On a modern machine the detergent usually costs more than the electricity, and the water is the smallest line of the three. The dryer is another matter entirely: it uses something like three times as much as the wash.

How to work it out by hand

Multiply the programme's kWh by the price of a kilowatt hour
Convert the litres to cubic metres and multiply by the price of water
Add the dose of detergent
Multiply by the washes in a year

What is worth knowing

Where the real saving is, in order: washing at 30 °C instead of 60 °C more than halves the electricity, because nearly all of it goes on heating the water rather than turning the drum. Filling the machine instead of running half loads. And hanging things out instead of tumble drying, which is by a distance the most expensive part of the whole process.

Frequently asked questions

What does one load of washing cost?

Between 30 and 50 cents a wash counting electricity, water and detergent, depending on the programme and your tariffs.

How much does a tumble dryer use?

Something like 2 to 3 kWh a cycle, three times the wash. It is the most expensive appliance in the house to run.

Is washing cold worth it?

Yes. Most of the electricity goes on heating the water: dropping from 60 °C to 30 °C more than halves the consumption.

What about using an off-peak tariff?

Only if you are on a time-of-use tariff. The gap between peak and off-peak can be over 50 % of the price per kWh.