Laundry · Northeast
Cost to run a washing machine in New York
At New York’s average residential rate of 28.65¢ per kWh, a washing machine drawing 500W for 1 hour a day, at a 40% duty cycle, costs about $1.74 per 30.44 use days. Change the numbers below to match how you actually use yours.
Washing Machine electricity cost calculator
Use watts and running time, or enter energy from a label, meter or completed load. Your inputs stay on this device.
Enter a number within each field’s limits to calculate your cost.
Your estimated energy cost
73 kWh across 365 use days per year
Power mode includes your selected duty cycle. The monthly figure assumes 30.44 use days; the annual total uses your selected use days. These are estimates at the entered rate.
Energy charges only. Fixed utility fees, purchase, installation and maintenance are excluded. See the calculation method and sources.
Why the cost differs in New York
New York has the 46th cheapest residential electricity of the 50 US states and Washington, DC we track, at 28.65¢ per kWh against a national average of 18.16¢. That is +57.8% compared with the national figure. New York contains the widest intrastate variation in the country. Upstate hydroelectric generation is genuinely cheap, while downstate delivery charges in New York City are among the highest anywhere, so a single state average conceals a large gap. Retail choice is available. Winter heating dominates upstate; dense downstate housing shifts the profile toward cooling.
For this appliance specifically, the difference works out to an extra $7.66 a year over what the same washing machine would cost at the national average rate. Run the identical appliance in Hawaii and it would cost $34.44 a year; in Nevada it would cost $9.29. That spread of $25.16 is entirely down to location.
Reducing use by 100 kWh would save $28.65 in energy charges at New York's average rate, compared with $18.16 at the US average. Whether a replacement appliance pays for itself also depends on its purchase price and the energy it actually saves.
Use the energy and delivery price that applies to your own utility plan in New York. If your plan has time-of-use prices, calculate each period separately or use a rate weighted by the electricity used in each period. Fixed monthly fees are outside this appliance energy-cost estimate.
| Location | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York this page | 28.65¢ | $1.74 | $20.91 |
| US average | 18.16¢ | $1.11 | $13.26 |
| Nevada cheapest state | 12.72¢ | $0.77 | $9.29 |
| Hawaii most expensive | 47.18¢ | $2.87 | $34.44 |
New York electricity rate trend
Rates in New York have moved from 27.28¢ to 28.65¢ per kWh between September 2025 and August 2026. The national residential average changed +3.4% from the same month a year earlier.
2025-09 to 2026-08 · cents per kWh
About running a washing machine
The motor uses little; the cost is in heating water. Washing in cold water rather than hot cuts the energy of a load by a large margin, typically most of it.
How we worked this out
The arithmetic is simple and we would rather show it than hide it. Divide watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by hours of use and by the duty cycle to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your rate:
500W ÷ 1000 × 1h × 40% = 0.200 kWh/day × 28.65¢ = $0.057 per day
One honest caveat: New York’s figure is a state average published by the EIA. Your own utility’s tariff, any time-of-use pricing, fixed monthly service charges and local taxes all shift the real number. Put your actual per-kWh rate into the calculator above for a figure that reflects your bill.
How to estimate your washing machine electricity use
Washing-machine electricity depends on the cycle and on where the hot water is heated. A machine-only estimate can exclude electricity used by a separate water heater, while some energy-label figures use broader test assumptions.
Water and sewer costs are excluded. EnergyGuide use assumptions may differ from your chosen cycle and loads per week.
- Use measured kWh for a representative wash cycle when available, then multiply by your price and number of loads.
- Check whether the specification includes internal water heating, standby and externally heated water. Keep the same boundary when comparing machines.
- If you calculate a separate water-heater load, avoid counting hot-water energy twice.
- For a watts-based estimate, use average cycle input or account for the different wash, spin and heating stages. Nameplate maximum is not cycle-average power.
Calculation and data sources
Daily kWh = watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × duty cycle ÷ 100. Multiply kWh by your rate in dollars per kWh to get cost. The wattage, hours and duty cycle above are editable example assumptions, not EIA measurements of this appliance.
The US and state average prices come from the EIA for August 2026. A state average is a starting point; your bill is the better source for your tariff.
Questions about washing machine running costs
How much electricity does a washing machine use?
In this example, 500 watts at a 40% duty cycle uses 0.200 kWh per scheduled hour. At 1.00 hours per day, that is 0.200 kWh per use day. Your model and operating conditions can differ.
How much does it cost to run a washing machine for an hour?
The default example costs $0.057 per scheduled hour at the New York average of 28.65¢/kWh for August 2026. This includes the selected duty cycle. Enter your watts, duty cycle and electricity price for your own estimate.
Does the annual cost assume I use it every day?
The reference tables use 365 days at the stated daily hours; monthly figures use 30.44 days. These are comparison scenarios, not forecasts. For a heater used on 90 days, enter 90 use days per year in the calculator.
Why does electricity running cost vary by state?
For August 2026, the EIA state averages range from 12.72¢/kWh in Nevada to 47.18¢/kWh in Hawaii. Equal electricity use costs more at a higher rate. Your utility tariff can differ from the state average.
Should I enter rated watts or average watts?
Use the input that matches your measurement. Rated watts can represent maximum draw. If you know the average watts over the selected hours, enter that average and set duty cycle to 100%; do not reduce it again for cycling.
Does this include the purchase price?
No. This calculator estimates electricity at the entered usage-based rate. Purchase, installation, maintenance and fixed monthly utility charges are separate.
How do I estimate occasional use?
In watts-and-hours mode, enter the hours used on an active day, then select the number of use-days per year. The monthly figure remains a 30.44-day equivalent at that daily use; the annual figure uses your selected days.