Number of units 1

Electric rate ($/kWh) $0.113

Water rate ($/1000 gallons) $4.529

Gas rate ($/therm) $1.330

Average number of loads per week 7.5

Type of water heating

Type of clothes dryer

Initial cost per unit (estimated retail price) $750 $492

Annual Operating Costs*

Electricity costs $63 $89 $25

Water costs $26 $55 $30

Gas costs $0 $0 $0

Total $89 $144 $55

Life Cycle Costs*

Operating costs (electricity, water, and maintenance) $780 $1,260 $481

Electricity costs $556 $777 $221

Water costs $224 $483 $260

Gas costs $0 $0 $0

Purchase price for 1 unit(s) $750 $492 -$258

Total $1,530 $1,752 $223

Simple payback of initial additional cost (years)† 4.7

Initial cost difference

Life cycle savings 

Net life cycle savings (life cycle savings - additional cost)

Simple payback of additional cost years

Life cycle electricity saved kWh

Life cycle air pollution reduction lbs of CO2

Air pollution reduction equivalence cars removed from the road for one year

Air pollution reduction equivalence acres of forest planted

Savings as a percent of retail price

$258

$481

$223

4.7

30%

2,464

3,795

0.32

0.39

†

 A simple payback period of zero years means that the payback is immediate.

Summary of Benefits for 1 Residential Clothes Washer(s)

1 ENERGY STAR 

Qualified Unit(s)

1 Conventional 

Unit(s)

 Savings with ENERGY 

STAR

* Annual costs exclude the initial purchase price. All costs, except initial cost, are discounted over the products' lifetime using a real discount rate of 4%. See 

"Assumptions" to change factors including the discount rate.

Annual and Life Cycle Costs and Savings for 1 Residential Clothes Washer(s)

Life Cycle Cost Estimate for

1 ENERGY STAR Qualified Residential Clothes Washer(s)

This energy savings calculator was developed by the U.S. EPA and U.S. DOE and is provided for estimating purposes only. Actual energy savings 

may vary based on use and other factors.

Enter your own values in the gray boxes or use our default values.

ENERGY STAR Qualified 

Unit

Conventional Unit

Choose the type of washing machine

Electric Water Heating

Residential

Electric Dryer
Category Data Source

Power & Water

ENERGY STAR Qualified Unit

Initial Cost Per Unit $750 Average retail price of a qualified model in 2009 from national retail data

Lifetime 11 years Appliance Magazine, September 2008

Annual Water Consumption 5637 gal/yr Average water consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Water Consumption (gal/Load) per unit 14.38 (gal/load)/unit Calculated

Electricity Consumption (kWh/Load) per unit 1.436 (kWh/load)/unit Calculated

Gas Consumption (therms/Load) per unit 0.00 (therms/load)/unit Calculated

Selected Scenario

Electric Water Heating & Electric Drying

Reference Case Annual Electricity use 563.0 kWh/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Electricity use per load 1.44 kWh/load Calculated

Electric Water Heating & Gas Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 192.00 kWh/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Electricity use per load 0.49 kWh/load Calculated

Reference Annual Gas Use 12.80 therms/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Gas consumption per load 0.03 therms/load Calculated

Electric Water Heating with No Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 192.00 kWh/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Electricity use per load 0.49 kWh/load Calculated

Gas Water Heating & Gas Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 56.9 kWh/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Electricity use per load 0.15 kWh/load Calculated

Reference Annual Gas Use 20.8 therms/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Gas consumption per load 0.05 therms/load Calculated

Gas Water Heating & Electric Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 390.00 kWh/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Electricity use per load 0.99 kWh/load Calculated

Reference Annual Gas Use 8.00 therms/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Gas consumption per load 0.02 therms/load Calculated

Gas Water Heating with No Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 56.90 kWh/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Electricity use per load 0.15 kWh/load Calculated

Reference Annual Gas Use 8.00 therms/yr Average energy consumption based on all qualified models, July 2009

Gas consumption per load 0.02 therms/load Calculated

Conventional Unit (New Unit)

Initial Cost Per Unit $492 Average retail price of a non-qualified model in 2009 from national retail pricing

Lifetime 11 years Appliance Magazine, September 2008

Annual Water Consumption 12179 gal/yr Average water consumption based on all non-qualified models, July 2009

Water Consumption per unit 31.07 gal/Load Calculated

Electricity Consumption per unit 2.008 kWh/Load Calculated

Gas Consumption per unit 0.00 therms/load Calculated

Electric Water Heating & Electric Drying

Reference Case Annual Electricity use 787 kWh/yr Average energy consumption based on all non-qualified models, December 2008

Electricity use per load 2.01 kWh/load Calculated

Electric Water Heating & Gas Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 333.00 kWh/yr Calculated

Electricity use per load 0.85 kWh/load Calculated

Reference Annual Gas Use 15.70 therms/yr Calculated

Gas consumption per load 0.04 therms/load Calculated

Electric Water Heating with No Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 333.00 kWh/yr Calculated

Electricity use per load 0.85 kWh/load Calculated

Gas Water Heating & Gas Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 80.7 kWh/yr Average energy consumption based on all non-qualified models, December 2008

Electricity use per load 0.21 kWh/load Calculated

Reference Annual Gas Use 29.8 therms/yr Average energy consumption based on all non-qualified models, December 2008

Gas consumption per load 0.08 therms/load Calculated

Gas Water Heating & Electric Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 487.00 kWh/yr Calculated

Electricity use per load 1.24 kWh/load Calculated

Reference Annual Gas Use 14.10 therms/yr Calculated

Gas consumption per load 0.04 therms/load Calculated

Gas Water Heating with No Drying

Reference Annual Electricity use 80.70 kWh/yr Calculated

Electricity use per load 0.21 kWh/load Calculated

Reference Annual Gas Use 14.10 therms/yr Calculated

Gas consumption per load 0.04 therms/load Calculated

Usage (Reference Case)

Residential and Commercial Clothes Washers

Average number of loads per year (Res) 392 loads/year DOE Federal Test Procedure 10 CFR 430, Appendix J1

Average number of loads per year (Commercial) 950 loads/year Multi-family Laundry Association, 2002

Number of loads per week (Residential) 7.5 loads/week Calculated

Number of loads per week (Commercial) 18.3 loads/week Calculated

Discount Rate

Commercial and Residential Discount Rate (real) 4% A real discount rate of 4 percent is assumed, which is roughly equivalent to the nominal discount rate of 7 

percent (4 percent real discount rate + 3 percent inflation rate).

Commercial Electricity Price $0.1030 $/kWh

Source: US electric rate: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2009 (Early Release) 

edition. (converted from 2007 to 2008 dollars). 

Residential Electricity Price $0.1127 $/kWh

Source: US electric rate: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2009 (Early Release) 

edition. (converted from 2007 to 2008 dollars). 

Assumptions for Clothes Washers

Value

Electric Water Heating and Drying
Water Rate per 1000 Gallons $4.53 $/1000 gal 2006 Water and Wastewater Rate Survey, Raftelis Consulting

Commercial Gas Price $1.18 $/therm

Source: US electric rate: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2009 (Early Release) 

edition. (converted from 2007 to 2008 dollars). 

Residential Gas Price $1.33 $/therm

Source: US electric rate: Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2009 (Early Release) 

edition. (converted from 2007 to 2008 dollars). 

Carbon Dioxide Emissions Factors

Electricity Carbon Emission Factor 1.54 lbs CO2

/kWh EPA’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) number for 2009.

 Gas Emission Factor 116.97 lbs CO2

/MMBtu EPA 2007

CO2 Equivalents

Annual CO2 sequestration per forested acre 9,700 lbs CO2/year

EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energyresources/calculator.html

Annual CO2 emissions for "average" passenger car 12,037 lbs CO2/year

EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energyresources/calculator.html

For questions, comments or suggestions, please write to escalcs@cadmusgroup.com Updated October 2009