Laundry Cost Calculator
Pick your state for a live electricity rate, choose your machine and water temperature, then see the true cost per load — and how cold water and efficient machines can cut your annual bill.
The dryer uses 6–8× more electricity than the washer. Cold water cuts the washer's energy by 80% — it's the single easiest savings lever.
3.8 kWh
Combined electricity per load (standard washer 0.5 kWh + dryer 3.3 kWh on warm water)
$0.12
Water cost per load — ~30 gallons × $0.004/gal (EPA/AWWA 2024)
80%
Washer energy reduction when switching from warm to cold water (DOE)
What really drives your laundry cost
Electricity rate, machine efficiency, and water temperature matter more than detergent.
The dryer is the expensive half
A standard electric dryer uses ~3.3 kWh per load — six times more than the washer. Cleaning the lint trap, using sensor-dry, or air-drying when possible are the highest-leverage habits for cutting your electricity bill.
Cold water is a free upgrade
~90% of the washer's energy heats water. Cold water cuts that by ~80%, saving $15–50/year depending on your rate and loads — with no sacrifice in cleanliness. Modern detergents are formulated for cold cycles.
Your state rate is the multiplier
The same 3.8 kWh load costs about $0.49 in electricity in Louisiana (~$0.13/kWh) but $1.26 in California (~$0.33/kWh). This calculator loads your state's live rate so you see your real number, not a generic average.
How the Laundry Cost Calculator Works
Formula
Washer kWh (adj) = Machine Washer kWh × Water Temp Multiplier
Total kWh/Load = Washer kWh (adj) + Dryer kWh
Electricity/Load = Total kWh × State Electricity Rate
Cost Per Load = Electricity + Water ($0.12) + Detergent
Weekly Cost = Cost Per Load × Loads/Week
Annual Cost = Weekly Cost × 52Pick your state
Loads your state's live residential electricity rate, so the per-load cost reflects where you actually live.
Set loads per week
Average US household: 5–8 loads/week (AHAM). Count all types — colors, whites, delicates, bedding.
Choose machine type
HE front-loader (2.65 kWh), modern top-loader (3.3 kWh), standard (3.8 kWh), or older (5.3 kWh).
Set water temperature
Cold cuts washer energy ~80%. Hot uses ~80% more than warm. The dryer isn't affected.
Set detergent cost
Divide your bottle price by the load count on the label. Budget: $0.10, premium pods: $0.50–0.75.
The key insight is that electricity rate × machine kWh drives most of the cost. Water ($0.12/load) and detergent ($0.10–0.75) are relatively fixed — but electricity swings from about $0.49/load in Louisiana to $1.26 in California for the same standard machine. That's why we load your state's live rate.
The calculator also compares your current setup against the best case (HE front-loader on cold water) and a laundromat ($3.50/load average). At-home laundry almost always wins — even an older machine at a high electricity rate costs far less than $3.50/load — but knowing the exact gap helps you decide when to upgrade.
Frequently Asked Questions
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