Draw a boundary around the estimate
For an in-unit setup, list the washer, the source of heated water and the dryer. For a shared laundry room, start with the posted price per wash and dry cycle. If electricity and water are included in that charge, adding household energy estimates on top would double-count them.
Check what any app or monitor measures. Does the washer heat water internally, draw already-heated water, or do both depending on the program? Only include consumption once. If hot water uses a different fuel or is included in rent, keep it separate from your personal electricity calculation.
Work through an electricity-only example
Suppose a complete wash uses 0.5 kWh and a separate drying cycle uses 2 kWh. Assume these are complete measured energy totals for those stages, and that no separately billed water-heating energy is involved in this example. At $0.18/kWh:
- Washing: 0.5 × $0.18 = $0.09.
- Drying: 2 × $0.18 = $0.36.
- Combined electricity: $0.45 per load.
- Twelve identical loads: $5.40.
These are hypothetical inputs, not typical figures for every washer or dryer. Water, sewer charges, detergent, purchase costs and maintenance are excluded. Changing the load, program or drying target can change the energy total.
Choose useful adjustments
ENERGY STAR recommends washing full loads where appropriate, using cold water when suitable, and selecting a higher spin setting when the fabrics allow it to reduce moisture left for drying. Follow garment care labels and the machine’s instructions; full does not mean overloaded.
Evaluate one change at a time. If you switch a suitable load from a warmer program to cold, compare its cleaning result as well as its consumption. Needing to repeat the wash can change the practical outcome. ENERGY STAR also identifies air drying as an option where feasible; check space, building rules and the room’s moisture conditions before relying on it indoors.
Compare cycles fairly
Keep a note of load size, program, spin setting, drying method and whether the clothes reached the desired result. Comparing a small synthetic load with a large towel load will not isolate the effect of an equipment change.
If you already have kWh per cycle, multiply directly by the applicable rate and number of cycles. You do not need to convert it into nameplate watts first. For a shared machine, track paid cycles instead: four extra dry cycles at an illustrative $2 each cost $8, regardless of what you estimate for the equipment’s internal electricity use.
Use the record to choose a routine that works in your apartment. A lower published energy rating is useful background when shopping, but it cannot substitute for knowing which costs your household pays.
Choose your next step
Continue with the question that matches your next decision:
Sources & further reading
Numerical examples are illustrative unless explicitly described as measured. This guide does not claim hands-on product testing. Read the methodology and editorial disclosure.