Laundry Cost per Load Calculator
Enter your washer, dryer, utility, and supply costs to estimate what each washed load costs. The result separates washing from drying and shows what partial air-drying saves over a year.
Average cost per load$1.06
- Wash-only cost per load
- $0.63
- Dryer cost per dried load
- $0.43
- Estimated annual laundry cost
- $274.93
- Annual utility water use
- 3,900
- Annual air-drying savings
- $0.00
Cost breakdown
| Component | Per washed load | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Washer electricity | $0.03 | $8.84 |
| Water heating | $0.07 | $19.09 |
| Water and sewer | $0.22 | $58.50 |
| Drying | $0.43 | $110.50 |
| Supplies | $0.30 | $78.00 |
| Total | $1.06 | $274.93 |
Hot-water energy uses 0.00240 kWh per gallon per °F of delivered temperature rise.
Annual results assume the same laundry pattern for 52 weeks.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the number of loads your household washes in a typical week.
- Use appliance documentation or a plug-in meter for washer and dryer energy where possible.
- Enter total water, hot-water volume, and the temperature rise supplied by your water heater.
- Add the variable utility rates from your bills and the average cost of detergent and other supplies.
- Choose the dryer fuel and the share of loads that you machine-dry, then review the breakdown.
How the laundry cost is calculated
Each load has five possible costs: electricity used by the washer, energy used to heat its hot water, water and sewer, supplies, and drying. The calculator prices the washer and water on every load. It prices drying only on the share of loads you say go into the dryer.
The hot-water part starts with the Department of Energy conversion:
Q = H × ΔT × 0.00240 kWh
Here, H is hot-water gallons and ΔT is the water-heater temperature rise in degrees Fahrenheit. For an electric water heater, heating cost is (Q ÷ efficiency) × electricity price. For gas, it converts Q using 3,412 Btu per kWh and 100,000 Btu per therm before applying gas price and efficiency.
The full per-load estimate is:
cost = washer electricity + water heating + water/sewer + supplies + dryer share × dryer cost
Water and sewer cost is total gallons divided by 1,000, multiplied by the combined variable rate. An electric dryer is priced as kWh times the electricity rate. A gas dryer combines its therm use with the electricity for its motor, controls, and ignition. Annual cost is the per-load total times weekly loads times 52.
What changes the result most
Dryer use, drying energy, and local electricity or gas prices can make the largest difference, especially if most loads are machine-dried. For washing, water temperature matters more than the washer motor: ENERGY STAR notes that water heating accounts for about 90% of the energy used to operate a clothes washer. A cold fill sets hot-water gallons to zero, while a high-spin wash can lower the dryer energy needed afterward.
Use figures for the cycle and load size you actually run. ENERGY STAR says certified full-size washers average about 14 gallons per load, but a bulky cycle, older washer, or selected options can differ. A measured dryer cycle is more useful than multiplying its rated wattage by the full cycle time because heating equipment cycles on and off.
What this calculator leaves out
This is an operating-cost estimate, not a full appliance ownership cost. It does not include the purchase price, installation, repairs, maintenance, depreciation, or the value of your time. It also uses one marginal rate for each utility, so time-of-use pricing, tiers, taxes, minimum charges, and fixed service fees are outside the estimate.
EnergyGuide and test-procedure figures can combine water heating, washer energy, and drying assumptions differently from this tool. Check what a published figure includes before entering it here, so the same energy is not counted twice.
Worked example
Suppose you wash five loads a week, use 0.20 kWh in the washer, and use 15 gallons of water per load. Three gallons are hot water with a 60°F rise. At $0.17 per kWh, $15 per 1,000 gallons, and $0.30 for supplies, washer electricity costs $0.03, water heating costs $0.07, water and sewer costs $0.23, and supplies cost $0.30.
If every load goes into an electric dryer using 2.5 kWh, drying adds $0.43. The average cost is $1.06 per load and the estimated annual cost is $274.93 for 260 loads. Air-drying half of those loads would save about $55.25 per year at the same dryer energy and electricity price.
Common questions
How much does one load of laundry cost at home?
It depends mostly on whether you heat water and use a dryer, along with your local utility prices. Entering the water, appliance energy, and supply costs separately gives a more useful estimate than using one national average. A cold-water, air-dried load can cost much less than a hot wash followed by a long dryer cycle.
How can I find my washer and dryer energy use per cycle?
Check the appliance manual, manufacturer specifications, or the product listing first. A plug-in electricity meter can measure many electric washers and dryers, although a hard-wired appliance may need a different monitoring method. Use a representative cycle, load size, and option set rather than rated wattage alone.
How much does washing in cold water save?
Cold washing removes the household water-heating part of this estimate when the washer has no internal heater. The saving is the entered hot-water heating cost for that load, which depends on gallons, temperature rise, fuel, efficiency, and utility rate. The washer motor and water-and-sewer costs still remain.
How much money does air-drying clothes save?
For each load you air-dry, the estimate saves the dryer cost per dried load. The yearly savings shown multiplies that cost by your air-dried share, weekly loads, and 52 weeks. It does not put a dollar value on extra drying time or indoor humidity.
Should fixed utility service charges be included?
Usually no. A fixed monthly customer charge does not change when you wash one additional load, so it is not a marginal laundry cost. Include only water, sewer, electricity, and gas charges that rise with consumption unless you are comparing total household bills under a change that affects fixed fees.