Washing-machine cost calculator
Work out how much it costs to run a washing machine, from its average cycle power, cycle length and how often you use it.
Result
Cost per year
Cost per cycle
How to use this calculator
- Check your machine's energy label or manual for a typical cycle's average power — modern eco cycles use much less than a hot, fast-spin cycle.
- Enter the cycle length and how many loads you run per week.
- Enter your electricity price per kWh.
- Read the cost per cycle and per year.
Assumptions
- Uses an average power draw across the cycle — a machine spends most of its energy heating water, so a hot wash costs considerably more than a cold/eco cycle of the same length.
Technical details: what the fields mean
- Average power during cycle
powerWatts - Average power drawn across a full cycle — most of a wash's energy goes into heating the water, so hotter cycles cost noticeably more.
- Hours per cycle
hoursPerUse - Typical cycle length for a full load.
- Cycles per week
usesPerWeek - How many wash loads you run per week.
- Electricity price
pricePerKwh - Your electricity price per kWh.
Methodology
Energy per cycle = average power (kW) × cycle length. Cost per cycle = energy × price per kWh. Cost per year = cost per cycle × cycles per week × 52.
Worked example
700W average, 1.5-hour cycle, 5 cycles/week, 27p/kWh
Inputs: powerWatts=700, hoursPerUse=1.5, usesPerWeek=5, pricePerKwh=0.27
Result: £0.28/cycle, £72.80/year
Practical guidance
- Washing at 30°C instead of 40–60°C cuts most of a cycle's energy use, since heating the water is the dominant cost.
- A full load is more energy-efficient per item washed than several half-loads.
Common mistakes
- Assuming all wash cycles cost roughly the same regardless of temperature — the water-heating energy dominates the total, so hotter cycles cost noticeably more.
FAQs
How much does it cost to run a washing machine per load?
For a typical 700W-average cycle at 27p/kWh, about 28p per load — cooler washes cost less, hotter washes cost more.