How to use the laundry cost per load calculator
- Enter the energy a load uses in kilowatt-hours and the price per kilowatt-hour.
- Enter the water per load in gallons and its price per gallon.
- Enter the detergent cost per load and how many loads you wash a week.
- Enter the price of a load outside, and optionally the machine cost, to see the comparison.
Formula
Cost of a load = energy x energy price + water x water price + detergent + wear allowance
A year = cost of a load x loads per week x 52
Machine cost a year = machine cost / years of use
Loads a week to break even = machine cost a year / (52 x (outside price - cost of a load))
The break-even figure appears only when you enter a machine cost and the outside price is above your own cost per load.
A home washer used five times a week
A load uses 1.2 kWh at $0.15 for $0.18, 25 gallons of water at $0.006 for $0.15 and $0.25 of detergent, so a load costs $0.58. Five loads a week for 52 weeks cost $150.80 a year, against $910.00 at $3.50 a load outside, which is a difference of $759.20.
If hot water doubles the energy to 2.4 kWh a load, the cost per load rises to $0.76. A $900 machine that lasts 10 years costs $90 a year, and with $2.92 saved per load it pays for itself at about 0.59 loads a week.
What makes a load cost more
Heating water is usually the largest part of the energy used, so washing in cold water changes the result more than any other choice. Detergent is the next big item and is easy to overuse. Water prices vary widely, and a machine that uses half the water saves more where water is expensive.
The wear allowance is for repairs and the part of the machine you use up. If you enter the machine cost separately, leave the allowance at zero to avoid counting the same wear twice.
Beyond the per-load cost
Time, drying, detergent that is not needed and the space a machine takes are not counted. For the prices of power and water see the Electricity Cost Calculator and the Water Bill Calculator. To check whether replacing an old machine pays back use the Appliance Replacement Payback Calculator, and to spread any purchase over its use the Cost per Use Calculator.
Assumptions and limits
- Every load uses the same energy, water and detergent.
- A year has 52 weeks of washing at the same pace.
- The figures shown are examples. Use the prices on your own bills.
- Water is entered in gallons and priced per gallon.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the kilowatt-hours per load?
The label on the machine may show a yearly figure for a set number of loads. Divide it by those loads, or measure with a plug-in energy meter.
Should the dryer be included?
You can add its energy to the energy per load. The tool treats energy as one figure for whatever you run for a load.
What if the outside price is lower than my cost?
Then the result shows an extra cost for washing at home, and no break-even number appears because there is nothing to break even against.
Is the machine cost included in the cost per load?
No. It is shown separately per year and used only for the break-even number, so the per-load cost stays a running cost.