CLOTHES WASHERS

 2006 PARTNER RESOURCE GUIDE

INNOVATION. PERFORMANCE. SAVINGS.

ENERGY STAR® Makes It Simple.
This document is designed to help partners promote clothes washers that 

meet the 2007 ENERGY STAR® criteria. 

 Section I includes the latest consumer messaging on product features 

 and benefits, as well as fun facts and usage tips. 

 Section II summarizes the most recent data on ENERGY STAR market 

 share, ENERGY STAR criteria, energy savings, and cost–effectiveness.

Clothes washers that meet the 2007 ENERGY STAR criteria use next generation 

technology to cut energy and water consumption by over 50% compared to 

regular washers.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY

2007 ENERGY STAR clothes washers can be front-loaders or redesigned top-loaders, 

but both include two technical innovations that help save substantial amounts of 

energy and water: 

NO CENTRAL AGITATOR

Front-loaders tumble clothes through a small amount of water instead of rubbing 

clothes against an agitator in a full tub. Advanced top loaders use sophisticated 

wash systems to flip or spin clothes through a reduced stream of water. Both designs 

dramatically reduce the amount of hot water used in the wash cycle, and the energy 

used to heat it.

HIGH SPIN SPEEDS

Efficient motors spin clothes 2-3 times faster during the spin cycle to extract more 

water. Less moisture in the clothes means less time and energy in the dryer.

Don’t get agitated. Save time, money, the 

environment, and your clothes by purchasing 

an agitator-free washer.

1 SECTION I : CONSUMER INFORMATION

SECTION I : CONSUMER INFORMATION

ENERGY STAR is a government-backed 

program that helps consumers identify the 

most energy-efficient products.

ENERGY SAVINGS TIPS

FILL IT UP 

WASH IN COLD

AVOID THE 

SANITARY CYCLE

USE SOLAR ENERGY

Run full loads whenever possible.

It takes a lot of energy to heat water. Use the cold cycle when you can.

This super hot cycle, available on some models, increases energy use significantly, so only 

use it when absolutely necessary.

On a sunny day, hang clothes outside to dry.
2

SAVINGS 

The average household does almost 400 loads of laundry each year, consuming 

about 13,500 gallons of water. Selecting a 2007 ENERGY STAR qualified washer instead of a regular clothes washer provides the following benefits:

SAVE MONEY

By dramatically reducing energy and water consumption, these units can cut 

utility bills by $60 per year.

SAVE TIME 

Without a bulky agitator there is more usable space in the tub for laundry—

and in particular for large items like comforters. More capacity also means 

fewer loads of laundry each week. Some agitator-free washers can wash over 20 

pounds of laundry at once, compared to 10-15 pounds for a conventional 

top-loader.

SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT 

Because they use less energy, these products reduce the air pollution and 

greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels. By reducing water consumption, 

they also help protect our lakes, streams and oceans.

SAVE YOUR CLOTHES

Instead of twisting and pulling clothes around a turning agitator, these products 

wash clothes gently. This lengthens the life of often-washed items and leads to 

less lint in the dryer! Because they are so gentle, many models can safely clean 

silk, wool, and other hand-washables.

2 SECTION I : CONSUMER INFORMATION

0

3,000

6,000

9,000

12,000

15,000

6,350 GALLONS

13,500 GALLONS

2007 ENERGY STAR

CLOTHES WASHER

GALLONS / YEAR

REGULAR

CLOTHES WASHER

RESIDENTIAL CLOTHES WASHER

WATER CONSUMPTION

A 2007 ENERGY STAR clothes washer can save

over 7,000 gallons of water per year compared

to a regular clothes washer.
3 3 3 SECTION I : CONSUMER INFORMATION

2007 ENERGY STAR clothes washers save over 7,000 gallons of water a year. Over the 11 year life of the washer, that’s enough water to: 

Provide a lifetime of drinking water for six people 

Fill three backyard swimming pools

Run an ENERGY STAR dishwasher almost 16,000 times (or every day for 43 years)

Take over 3,000 showers 

Water your lawn 780 times

Wash your car 770 times

FUN FACTS

2007 ENERGY STAR clothes washers save $60 per year. Over the 11 year life of the washer, that’s enough money to:

Buy a new ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher

Buy a new clothes dryer

Buy 75 bottles of laundry detergent (or enough detergent to do laundry for 5 years)

Buy 40 pairs of jeans

Buy over 250 pairs of socks

Water Costs Energy Costs

$1,200

$1,000

$800

$600

$400

$200

2007 ENERGY STAR®

CLOTHES WASHER

REGULAR 

CLOTHES WASHER

$200

$315

$490

$675

$1,165

$515

RESIDENTIAL CLOTHES WASHER

LIFETIME OPERATING COSTS

Though it may seem cheaper at first, a regular

clothes washer can cost $650 more to operate 

over its life compared to a 2007 ENERGY STAR 

clothes washer.
1 Source: Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM)

ENERGY STAR MARKET SHARE

The national market share of all ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers tripled 

between 2000 and 2004, growing from 9% to 27%.

As of February 2006, there are 130 clothes washer models on the market that meet 

the new 2007 ENERGY STAR criteria. The estimated market share of front loaders in 

2005 (most of which meet the 2007 criteria) was 10-20%.1

ENERGY STAR clothes washers have achieved healthy market share throughout 

the country, though sales remain strongest in regions with active program sponsors 

(such as California, the Pacific Northwest, and New England). 

2

Source : Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM)

4 SECTION II : MARKET DATA

SECTION II : MARKET DATA

27%

FLORIDA

MOUNTAIN

NORTHWEST

WEST NORTH 

CENTRAL

NEW 

ENGLAND

WEST SOUTH 

CENTRAL

CALIFORNIA

EAST SOUTH

CENTRAL

MIDDLE 

ATLANTIC

SOUTH 

ATLANTIC

EAST NORTH

29% CENTRAL

42%

30%

22%

18%

21% 18%

32%

36%

38%

ENERGY STAR CLOTHES WASHER

2004 REGIONAL MARKET SHARE

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

9% 10%

16%

23%

27% 30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

 5%

 0%

ENERGY STAR

CLOTHES WASHER

2000-2004 NATIONAL

MARKET SHARE
5

ENERGY STAR CRITERIA

Clothes washer efficiency is measured by Modified Energy Factor (MEF) and 

Water Factor (WF). 

MEF is a comprehensive measure of energy efficiency that considers the energy 

used by the washer, the energy used to heat the water, and the energy used to run 

the dryer. The higher the MEF, the more efficient the clothes washer.

WF measures the water efficiency and is calculated as gallons of water used per 

cubic foot of capacity. The lower the WF, the more efficient the clothes washer. 

The current ENERGY STAR criteria for clothes washers have been in effect since 

2004, and to meet it models must be at least 37% more energy efficient than the 

minimum federal standard. To meet the new 2007 ENERGY STAR criteria, clothes 

washers must be even better – at least 65% more energy efficient than the current 

federal standard, plus they must meet stringent water efficiency criteria. 

5 SECTION II : MARKET DATA

ENERGY STAR CRITERIA

CURRENT CRITERIA JANUARY 1, 2007

ENERGY STAR MEF 1.42 MEF 1.72, WF 8.0

FEDERAL STANDARD MEF 1.04 MEF 1.26 >

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>

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ANNUAL ENERGY STAR SAVINGS PER UNIT

ELECTRIC WATER HEATING (41%) GAS WATER HEATING (59%)

2007 

ENERGY STAR

NONQUALIFIED SAVINGS2007 

ENERGY STAR

NONQUALIFIED SAVINGS

ENERGY USE (kWh/yr) 209 531 322 21 53 32

ENERGY USE (therms/yr) N/A N/A N/A 12 29 17

WATER USE (gallons/yr) 6,350 13,494 7,144 6,350 13,494 7,144

ENERGY & WATER BILL ($/yr)4 $48 $110 $62 $46 $102 $56

ENERGY STAR SAVINGS

The annual dollar savings of a new 2007 ENERGY STAR clothes washer varies 

slightly depending on what fuel a customer uses to heat their water. Homes 

that have an electric water heater—about 41% of U.S. households—will save 

an average of $62 per year, whereas consumers that use gas water heating—59% 

of U.S. households—will save an average of $56 per year. The national weighted 

average is $59 per year. 

COST EFFECTIVENESS

Average life = 11 years2 

Average cycles per year = 392

Time to recover initial investment = 5 years

2007 ENERGY STAR clothes washer price range = $550 – $1,5203

Conventional clothes washer price range = $240 – $770

2 Annual Portrait of the U.S. Appliance Industry, Appliance Magazine, September 2005.

3 National retailer Web sites.

4 Electric, gas, and water rates used to estimate dollar amounts are as follows: $.093/kWh, $1.24/therm (Source: U.S. Department of Energy, 2005) and $.004529/gallon 

 (Source: Raftelis Water and Wastewater Rate Survey, 2004).

6 SECTION II : MARKET DATA
United States

Department of Energy

For more information visit

www.energystar.gov

1.888.STAR.YES (1.888.782.7937)