How Much Does It Cost to Run a Washing machine? (May 2026)
Running a Washing machine (500 W typical) for 1 hours a day costs between $1.85 per month in Idaho and $7.80 per month in Hawaii, at each state's official average residential rate for May 2026.
Washing machine: what it costs you
Pick your state and how long it runs each day. Nothing you type is stored.
- Cost per month
- $2.93
- Cost per year
- $35.14
Assumes a 30-day month (year = 12 × month) at Ohio's average residential rate of 19.52¢/kWh (U.S. EIA, May 2026). Your plan's price differs.
Typical wattage: 500 W (DOE Energy Saver, verified 2026-07-17) — ~350-500 W (excludes water heating). A representative figure, not a spec sheet for your model.
Monthly cost in every state (1 hours/day)
| State | Price | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 52.00¢/kWh | $7.80 |
| California | 33.25¢/kWh | $4.99 |
| New York | 29.93¢/kWh | $4.49 |
| Rhode Island | 29.46¢/kWh | $4.42 |
| Massachusetts | 28.82¢/kWh | $4.32 |
| Maine | 28.63¢/kWh | $4.29 |
| Alaska | 28.23¢/kWh | $4.23 |
| Connecticut | 27.37¢/kWh | $4.11 |
| New Hampshire | 27.33¢/kWh | $4.10 |
| District of Columbia | 25.40¢/kWh | $3.81 |
| Vermont | 24.89¢/kWh | $3.73 |
| Illinois | 23.85¢/kWh | $3.58 |
| New Jersey | 23.27¢/kWh | $3.49 |
| Michigan | 22.01¢/kWh | $3.30 |
| Maryland | 21.77¢/kWh | $3.27 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.55¢/kWh | $3.23 |
| Wisconsin | 19.74¢/kWh | $2.96 |
| Ohio | 19.52¢/kWh | $2.93 |
| Delaware | 19.38¢/kWh | $2.91 |
| Indiana | 18.15¢/kWh | $2.72 |
| Virginia | 17.61¢/kWh | $2.64 |
| Minnesota | 16.95¢/kWh | $2.54 |
| West Virginia | 16.80¢/kWh | $2.52 |
| Alabama | 16.77¢/kWh | $2.52 |
| Texas | 16.44¢/kWh | $2.47 |
| Oregon | 16.27¢/kWh | $2.44 |
| South Carolina | 16.18¢/kWh | $2.43 |
| Colorado | 16.16¢/kWh | $2.42 |
| Mississippi | 16.16¢/kWh | $2.42 |
| Georgia | 15.84¢/kWh | $2.38 |
| South Dakota | 15.73¢/kWh | $2.36 |
| Arizona | 15.23¢/kWh | $2.28 |
| Florida | 15.17¢/kWh | $2.28 |
| Kansas | 15.13¢/kWh | $2.27 |
| North Carolina | 15.09¢/kWh | $2.26 |
| Kentucky | 14.98¢/kWh | $2.25 |
| Washington | 14.95¢/kWh | $2.24 |
| Wyoming | 14.80¢/kWh | $2.22 |
| Montana | 14.67¢/kWh | $2.20 |
| Tennessee | 14.47¢/kWh | $2.17 |
| Arkansas | 14.36¢/kWh | $2.15 |
| Louisiana | 14.15¢/kWh | $2.12 |
| Iowa | 14.14¢/kWh | $2.12 |
| New Mexico | 14.12¢/kWh | $2.12 |
| Missouri | 13.68¢/kWh | $2.05 |
| North Dakota | 13.61¢/kWh | $2.04 |
| Nevada | 13.60¢/kWh | $2.04 |
| Nebraska | 13.59¢/kWh | $2.04 |
| Oklahoma | 13.38¢/kWh | $2.01 |
| Utah | 12.96¢/kWh | $1.94 |
| Idaho | 12.35¢/kWh | $1.85 |
How to cut this cost
- Run it fewer hours. The cost above scales linearly with runtime - use the calculator to see what your actual hours cost.
- Measure what it really draws. The wattage here is a typical DOE figure; a plug-in electricity usage monitor shows what your unit actually uses.
- Compare it with similar loads: electric clothes dryer.
- See what else drives your bill. Our guide to what uses the most electricity in a home ranks every load we cost out here, and how to lower your electric bill ranks the levers by how much they actually save.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to run a Washing machine?
- Running a Washing machine (500 W typical) for 1 hours a day costs between $1.85 per month in Idaho and $7.80 per month in Hawaii, at each state's official average residential rate for May 2026.
- How many watts does a Washing machine use?
- A typical washing machine draws about 500 watts (~350-500 W (excludes water heating).), per DOE Energy Saver figures. Actual draw varies by model.
- How can I lower the cost of running a Washing machine?
- The cost scales linearly with runtime, so cutting hours cuts cost directly. A plug-in electricity usage monitor shows what your specific unit draws, since the wattage above is a typical DOE figure, not your model's spec. For the full picture of what else drives your bill, see what uses the most electricity in a home.
Rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration residential average retail price, May 2026 (public domain). Typical wattage: 500 W, DOE Energy Saver, verified 2026-07-17 (~350-500 W (excludes water heating).). Costs assume a 30-day month at the state's average residential rate; your model, usage and plan price differ.