11-i

CHAPTER 11. LIFE-CYCLE COST SUBGROUP ANALYSIS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

11.1 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................11-1

11.2 SUBGROUPS DEFINITION......................................................................................11-1

11.2.1 Senior-Only Households.............................................................................................11-1

11.2.2 Low-Income Households............................................................................................11-1

11.2.3 Multi-Family Households...........................................................................................11-2

11.3 INPUTS TO THE LIFE-CYCLE COST AND PAYBACK PERIOD SUBGROUP 

ANALYSIS................................................................................................................11-2

11.4 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................11-4

11.4.1 Senior-Only................................................................................................................11-4

11.4.2 Low-Income ...............................................................................................................11-6

11.4.3 Multi-Family ..............................................................................................................11-7

LIST OF TABLES

Table 11.2.1 RECS 2005 Definitions of Low-Income Households by Yearly Income ..........11-2

Table 11.3.1 Household Population .....................................................................................11-3

Table 11.3.2 Household Population for Compact Clothes Washers......................................11-3

Table 11.3.3 Weighted-Average Annual Electricity Use for Top-Loading Clothes 

Washers..........................................................................................................11-3

Table 11.3.4 Weighted-Average Annual Electricity Use for Front-Loading Clothes 

Washers..........................................................................................................11-3

Table 11.3.5 Weighted-Average Annual Electricity Use for Top-Loading Compact 

Clothes Washers .............................................................................................11-4

Table 11.3.6 Weighted-Average Annual Electricity Use for Front-Loading Compact 

Clothes Washers .............................................................................................11-4

Table 11.4.1 Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for Senior-Only 

Households.....................................................................................................11-4

Table 11.4.2 Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for Senior-Only 

Households.....................................................................................................11-5

Table 11.4.3 Compact Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for 

Senior-Only Households.................................................................................11-5

Table 11.4.4 Compact Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for 

Senior-Only Households.................................................................................11-5

Table 11.4.5 Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for Low-Income 

Households.....................................................................................................11-6

Table 11.4.6 Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for Low-Income 

Households.....................................................................................................11-6

Table 11.4.7 Compact Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for LowIncome Households.........................................................................................11-7

Table 11.4.8 Compact Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for LowIncome Households.........................................................................................11-7
11-ii

Table 11.4.9 Compact Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for MultiFamily Households .........................................................................................11-7

Table 11.4.10 Compact Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for 

Multi-Family Households................................................................................11-8
11-1

CHAPTER 11. LIFE-CYCLE COST SUBGROUP ANALYSIS

11.1 INTRODUCTION

Chapter 8 describes the life-cycle cost (LCC) and payback period (PBP) analyses that 

examine impacts of energy conservation standards on the U.S. population. In analyzing the potential 

impact of new or amended standards on residential consumers, DOE further evaluates the impact on 

identifiable groups of consumers (i.e., subgroups) that may be disproportionately affected by a 

national standard level. The LCC subgroup analysis evaluates impacts by analyzing the LCC and 

PBPs for subgroups of residential consumers. 

For clothes washers, DOE identified two consumer subgroups that warranted further study: 

(a) households composed of people 65 years of age or older (senior-only); and (b) households at or 

below the poverty line (low-income). For the compact product classes, DOE identified multi-family 

households as an additional consumer subgroup.

DOE determined the impact on consumer subgroups for clothes washers using the LCC 

Spreadsheet Model, which allows for the examination of particular consumer subgroups. DOE 

has the ability to use the LCC Spreadsheet Model to analyze the LCC for any subgroup by 

sampling only the data that apply to that subgroup (Chapter 8 explains in detail the inputs to the 

model used in determining LCC and PBPs). As described in section 11.3, the energy use and 

energy price characteristics of the two subgroups (senior-only and low-income) are different than 

that for the general population. The occurrence of compact clothes washers is more likely in 

multi-family households.

This chapter describes the subgroup identification in further detail and gives the results of the 

LCC and PBP analyses for the considered subgroups.

11.2 SUBGROUPS DEFINITION

11.2.1 Senior-Only Households

Senior-only households have occupants who are all at least 65 years of age. Based on the 

DOE Energy Information Administration (EIA)’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey of 2005

(RECS), senior-only households comprise 17 percent of the country’s households.

1

11.2.2 Low-Income Households

As defined in the RECS survey, low-income households are considered to be those at or 

below the “poverty line.” The “poverty line” varies with household size, head of household age, 

and family income. Table 11.2.1 summarizes the income level baselines for selecting lowincome households from the RECS sample. The RECS survey classifies 15 percent of the 

country’s households as low-income.
11-2

Table 11.2.1 RECS 2005 Definitions of Low-Income Households by Yearly Income

Average Income in $

Household Size 48 Contiguous States 

and D.C.

Alaska Hawaii

1 9,570 11,950 11,010

2 12,830 16,030 14,760

3 16,090 20,100 18,510

4 19,350 24,190 22,260

5 22,610 28,270 26,010

6 25,870 32,350 29,760

7 29,130 36,430 33,510

8 32,390 40,510 37,260

9 35,650 44,590 41,010

10 38,910 48,670 44,760

11 42,170 52,750 48,510

12 45,430 56,830 52,260

13 48,690 60,910 56,010

14 51,950 64,990 59,760

15 55,210 69,070 63,510

11.2.3 Multi-Family Households

As defined in the RECS survey, multi-family households are considered to be structures 

with 2 or more housing units. The RECS survey classifies 11 percent of the country’s households 

as multi-family.

11.3 INPUTS TO THE LIFE-CYCLE COST AND PAYBACK PERIOD 

SUBGROUP ANALYSIS

DOE performed the consumer subgroup analysis by analyzing the LCC and PBP of 

senior-only, low-income, multi-family, and manufactured households with the spreadsheet 

models used for the LCC and PBP analysis.

Table 11.3.1 and Table 11.3.2 summarize the household population for clothes washers, 

while Tables 11.3.3 through 11.3.6 summarize the weighted-average annual energy use for the 

households analyzed in the consumer subgroup analyses. These values are compared against the 

weighted-average values for the national sample.
11-3

Table 11.3.1 Household Population

Top-Loading Front-Loading

Count Weight Count Weight

National 3311 84,104,261 299 7,687,965 

Senior-Only 536 14,550,533 37 1,081,370 

Senior-Only % 16% 17% 12% 14%

Low-Income 480 9,992,587 15 330,033 

Low-Income % 14% 12% 5% 4%

Table 11.3.2 Household Population for Compact Clothes Washers

Top-Loading Front-Loading

Count Weight Count Weight

Multi-Family 352 9,239,079 26 616,010

Multi-Family % 11% 11% 9% 8%

Table 11.3.3 Weighted-Average Annual Electricity Use for Top-Loading Clothes 

Washers

kWh/year

All

Households

Senior

-Only

LowIncome

Baseline 728 448 684

CSL 1 734 453 676

CSL 2 541 333 502

CSL 3 526 326 498

CSL 4 519 321 493

CSL 5 455 306 477

CSL 6 462 284 438

CSL 7 431 265 401

CSL 8 425 262 396

Table 11.3.4 Weighted-Average Annual Electricity Use for Front-Loading Clothes 

Washers

kWh/year

All

Households

Senior

-Only

LowIncome

Baseline 429 270 470

CSL 1 422 265 464

CSL 2 404 251 451

CSL 3 393 244 441

CSL 4 411 255 466

CSL 5 386 239 438

CSL 6 387 240 446

CSL 7 379 234 435

CSL 8 361 222 421
11-4

Table 11.3.5 Weighted-Average Annual Electricity Use for Top-Loading Compact 

Clothes Washers

kWh/year

All

Households

Senior

-Only

LowIncomeMultiFamily

Baseline 509 311 477 387

CSL 1 392 240 358 293

CSL 2 294 188 272 226

Table 11.3.6 Weighted-Average Annual Electricity Use for Front-Loading Compact 

Clothes Washers

kWh/year

All

Households

Senior

-Only

LowIncomeMultiFamily

Baseline 306 199 349 292

CSL 1 280 175 325 266

11.4 RESULTS

Tables 11.4.1 through 11.4.10 below summarize the LCC results for clothes washers. The 

LCC results provide the average installed price; average lifetime operating cost (discounted); average 

life-cycle cost; average life-cycle cost savings; the percentage of consumers that are burdened with 

net costs, realize net savings, or are not impacted; and the median payback period.

11.4.1 Senior-Only

Table 11.4.1 Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for Senior-Only 

Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $414 $1,021 $1,435 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $418 $1,026 $1,443 -$4 30% 60% 11% 4.3

2 $425 $812 $1,237 $163 2% 19% 79% 0.6

3 $431 $862 $1,293 $115 19% 17% 64% 1.2

4 $437 $856 $1,293 $116 19% 16% 65% 1.6

5 $433 $830 $1,263 $142 10% 15% 75% 1.1

6 $448 $731 $1,179 $214 8% 14% 77% 1.4

7 $495 $619 $1,115 $275 19% 5% 77% 2.8

8 $508 $592 $1,099 $291 21% 0% 79% 3.1

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.
11-5

Table 11.4.2 Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for Senior-Only

Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $865 $785 $1,650 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $870 $778 $1,648 $0 0% 100% 0% NA

2 $867 $762 $1,629 $0 0% 100% 0% NA

3 $869 $722 $1,592 $0 0% 100% 0% NA

4 $873 $683 $1,557 $1 0% 96% 4% 1.4

5 $888 $595 $1,483 $22 3% 72% 25% 2.2

6 $919 $580 $1,500 $9 52% 23% 25% 17.8

7 $938 $565 $1,503 $6 60% 12% 28% 15.7

8 $964 $506 $1,470 $38 48% 0% 52% 8.7

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.

Table 11.4.3 Compact Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for 

Senior-Only Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $419 $714 $1,132 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $425 $608 $1,034 $99 4% 0% 96% 0.8

2 $479 $490 $969 $163 27% 0% 73% 3.5

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.

Table 11.4.4 Compact Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for 

Senior-Only Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $861 $479 $1,340 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $865 $434 $1,299 $41 0% 0% 100% 1.1

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.
11-6

11.4.2 Low-Income

Table 11.4.5 Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for Low-Income

Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $414 $1,484 $1,898 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $418 $1,484 $1,902 -$1 25% 60% 16% 2.8

2 $425 $1,181 $1,607 $240 2% 19% 79% 0.5

3 $432 $1,255 $1,686 $173 18% 17% 66% 0.9

4 $437 $1,249 $1,686 $173 18% 16% 66% 1.3

5 $433 $1,218 $1,651 $203 10% 15% 75% 0.9

6 $448 $1,069 $1,517 $319 6% 14% 80% 1.2

7 $496 $898 $1,394 $437 12% 5% 84% 2.2

8 $508 $856 $1,365 $466 14% 0% 86% 2.4

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.

Table 11.4.6 Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for Low-Income

Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $865 $1,240 $2,105 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $870 $1,231 $2,101 $0 0% 100% 0% NA

2 $866 $1,216 $2,083 $0 0% 100% 0% NA

3 $869 $1,150 $2,019 $0 0% 100% 0% NA

4 $873 $1,079 $1,952 $3 0% 96% 4% 1.2

5 $888 $939 $1,827 $36 2% 72% 26% 1.9

6 $919 $910 $1,830 $34 47% 23% 30% 13.6

7 $937 $887 $1,824 $39 54% 12% 34% 14.4

8 $964 $789 $1,753 $109 40% 0% 60% 7.7

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.
11-7

Table 11.4.7 Compact Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for LowIncome Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $419 $1,040 $1,459 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $426 $884 $1,309 $150 3% 0% 97% 0.6

2 $480 $705 $1,184 $275 18% 0% 82% 2.7

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.

Table 11.4.8 Compact Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for 

Low-Income Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $861 $756 $1,617 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $865 $694 $1,559 $57 0% 0% 100% 0.9

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.

11.4.3 Multi-Family

Table 11.4.9 Compact Top-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for 

Multi-Family Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback 

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $419 $909 $1,328 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $426 $776 $1,201 $127 2% 0% 98% 0.6

2 $480 $621 $1,101 $227 16% 0% 84% 2.6

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.
11-8

Table 11.4.10 Compact Front-Loading Clothes Washers: LCC and PBP Results for 

Multi-Family Households

CSL

Life-Cycle Cost (2010$) Life-Cycle Cost Savings Payback

Period

Average 

Installed 

Price

Average 

Operating 

Cost

Average 

LCC

Average 

Savings 

(2010$)

Households with

Median 

(years) Net

Cost

No 

Impact*

Net 

Benefit

Baseline $860 $644 $1,504 NA 0% 100% 0% NA

1 $864 $592 $1,456 $48 0% 0% 100% 0.8

* “No impact” means that the base case product assigned to the household has greater efficiency than the level 

indicated, so the household is not affected.
11-9 

REFERENCES

 

1 U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy 

Consumption Survey: 2005 Public Use Data Files, 2005.

<http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/recspubuse05/pubuse05.html>