Electric dryer
- Electric = (0.4 + 2.5) × $0.15 ≈ $0.44
- Water = 25 × $0.005 = $0.13
- Total ≈ $0.57
energy calculator
Laundry Cost per Load Calculator
Estimate cost per laundry load from washer/dryer energy use and water cost.
Results
- Electricity cost per load
- $0
- Gas cost per load
- $0
- Water cost per load
- $0
- Total cost per load
- $1
Overview
Laundry seems like a small household task, but over a year the cost of running washers and dryers can add up—especially if you have a big family, short‑term rentals, or older, less efficient machines. Utility bills lump everything together, making it hard to see what each load really costs.
This laundry cost per load calculator breaks that down. You enter your washer and dryer energy use, water usage, and actual utility rates, and it estimates how much each load costs in electricity, gas, and water, plus a total. You can then test scenarios like switching to line drying, using a gas dryer, or running eco cycles to see how much you can save per load and per month.
How to use this calculator
- Look up your electricity, gas, and water/sewer rates on recent utility bills and convert them to $/kWh, $/therm, and $/gallon.
- Find approximate washer and dryer energy use (kWh or therms per load) from the EnergyGuide label, user manual, or manufacturer website, and enter those values.
- Enter the typical gallons of water per load for your washer; high‑efficiency front‑loaders often use less water than older top‑loaders.
- Run the calculation to see electricity, gas, and water cost per load, along with the total cost.
- Change one variable at a time—such as setting dryer kWh to zero for line drying or reducing water gallons for an HE washer—to see how each choice affects cost per load.
- Multiply the per‑load total by your weekly or monthly load count to estimate recurring laundry utility costs and potential savings from efficiency upgrades or behavior changes.
Inputs explained
- Washer kWh
- Estimated electricity used by your washer per load in kilowatt‑hours. High‑efficiency and front‑load machines often fall in the 0.3–0.6 kWh range, while older units may use more.
- Dryer energy
- Enter either electric dryer kWh per load or gas therms per load, setting the unused energy source to zero. This keeps electric and gas drying costs separated.
- Electricity rate
- Your electricity price per kilowatt‑hour (kWh), usually listed on your utility bill. If you have time‑of‑use pricing, you can use an average or run separate scenarios for peak and off‑peak.
- Gas rate
- Your gas price per therm. Convert from per‑CCF or per‑m³ charges if needed so you’re working in therms, which are commonly used in appliance specs.
- Water gallons
- Gallons of water used per load. Newer high‑efficiency washers can use as little as 15–25 gallons; older top‑loaders may use considerably more.
- Water rate
- Your combined water and sewer rate per gallon. If your bill quotes per 1,000 gallons or per cubic foot, divide accordingly to get a per‑gallon number.
How it works
Electric cost is calculated as (Washer kWh + Electric dryer kWh) × Electricity rate ($/kWh). If you are using a gas dryer or line drying, you can set the electric dryer kWh to zero.
Gas cost is calculated as Gas therms per load × Gas rate ($/therm). If you have an electric dryer, leave gas therms at zero so gas cost is excluded.
Water cost is Gallons per load × Water rate ($/gallon). If your bill quotes water/sewer in $ per 1,000 gallons or cubic feet, you can convert that to a per‑gallon rate before entering it.
Total cost per load is simply the sum of electricity cost + gas cost + water cost, giving you an approximate all‑in utility cost for a single load of laundry.
Because the calculations are linear, you can easily scale results: multiply the per‑load total by the number of loads you do in a week or month to estimate monthly or annual laundry utility cost.
Formula
Electric cost = (Washer kWh + Dryer kWh) × Elec rate Gas cost = Gas therms × Gas rate Water cost = Gallons × Water rate Total = Electric + Gas + Water
When to use it
- Comparing the per‑load cost of an electric dryer versus a gas dryer or line drying to decide whether a switch is worth it.
- Estimating savings from switching to cold‑water or eco wash cycles that reduce washer energy use and potentially water consumption.
- Budgeting utility costs for households with heavy laundry use, such as families with young children, shared housing, or short‑term rentals.
- Supporting appliance upgrade decisions by modeling current washer/dryer usage against the specs of newer, more efficient models.
- Helping tenants or landlords understand how included utilities or coin‑operated machines translate into real per‑load costs.
Tips & cautions
- Line drying or using a gas dryer can dramatically cut electric usage—set dryer kWh to zero and adjust gas therms to see how your cost per load shifts.
- Cold or warm washes typically use less energy than hot cycles because less water heating is involved; if your washer has an eco mode, reduce the washer kWh input to approximate its effect.
- Water and sewer rates can be a surprisingly large component of laundry cost in some regions; using a high‑efficiency washer and full loads can significantly lower per‑load water cost.
- If you have time‑of‑use or demand‑based electricity pricing, consider running loads during off‑peak hours and using the lower off‑peak rate in the calculator to estimate best‑case costs.
- Keep an eye on lint traps and venting for dryers—improper maintenance can increase energy use per load over time and reduce performance.
- Relies on average energy and water use per load; real machines vary by model, cycle type, load size, and maintenance condition.
- Does not include detergent, softener, or equipment depreciation; it focuses strictly on utility usage per load.
- Does not explicitly model standby power, pre‑wash settings, or complex time‑of‑use or demand charges; use average rates for simplicity.
- Assumes linear pricing; tiered water or energy rates and fixed service charges are not broken out separately.
- Results are approximate and should be treated as planning numbers, not exact billing predictions.
Worked examples
Gas dryer
- Electric = 0.4 × $0.15 ≈ $0.06
- Gas = 0.12 therm × $1.20 = $0.14
- Water = $0.13
- Total ≈ $0.33
Deep dive
Use this laundry cost per load calculator to translate washer and dryer energy usage plus water consumption into a clear per‑load utility cost. Enter kWh, therms, gallons, and your actual rates to see electricity, gas, water, and total cost for each wash.
Compare electric vs gas dryers, test the impact of line drying or eco cycles, and estimate monthly laundry utility spending by scaling up the per‑load total by your typical number of loads.
Ideal for households, landlords, and energy‑conscious renters who want to understand and reduce the ongoing cost of doing laundry, based on the appliances and utility rates they actually have.
Because the calculator breaks out electricity, gas, and water costs separately, you can quickly spot whether high kWh usage, expensive gas, or steep water/sewer rates are driving your laundry bill and focus your upgrades or habit changes where they will have the biggest impact.
You can also use the per‑load cost output as a planning input for budgets, rental pricing, or shared‑laundry arrangements—multiplying the cost by expected loads per week or per tenant makes it easier to decide whether to adjust utility allowances, coin‑op pricing, or house rules around running partial loads.
FAQs
- How do I find my rates?
- Check your utility bills for $/kWh, $/therm, and water/sewer rates. Use those for best accuracy.
- Can I compare line drying?
- Yes. Set dryer energy to zero to see cost without machine drying.
- Do HE washers use less water?
- Often. Lower the gallons input to reflect HE/eco cycles to see savings.
- Does time-of-use matter?
- Not modeled. If you have TOU rates, use your average or run multiple scenarios.
- Can I include detergent cost?
- Not included. Add separately if you want full per-load cost.
Related calculators
Estimates only. Real appliance usage varies by model, cycle, and load size. Use your utility rates and appliance specs for accuracy.