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Washing Machine Running Cost Calculator

Work out washing machine running cost instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Washing Machine Running Cost Calculator

Washing machine cost combines electricity and water, including the sewerage charge which usually matches the supply charge. Nearly all the electricity goes into heating the water, which is why a 30 degree wash costs roughly a third of a 60 degree one.

Formula

Washing cost

annual = cycles x 52 x (kWh x tariff + litres/1000 x water and sewerage rate)

Worked example

With the default values below, Washing Machine Running Cost Calculator returns Annual running cost of $110.24. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Cycles per week
5 cycles
Energy per cycle
0.8 kWh
Water per cycle
50 L
Electricity rate
0.28

Results

Annual running cost
$110.24
Annual electricity
208.00 kWh
Annual water
13.00 m³
Cost per cycle
$0.424

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Washing cost
  3. 3Annual running cost= 110.24
  4. 4Annual electricity= 208.00 kWh
  5. 5Annual water= 13.00 m³
  6. 6Cost per cycle= 0.424

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does temperature matter so much?

Heating water dominates the energy use. Dropping from 60 to 30 degrees cuts energy per cycle by around 60% with modern detergents performing well at low temperature.

Does a fuller load save money?

Yes, per kilogram of washing. The machine uses only slightly more energy for a full load than a half load, so fewer fuller cycles is cheaper.

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