Washing Machine Running Cost Calculator

How we research

The cost of running a washing machine depends on how much electricity one wash uses and what you pay for a unit. This calculator works out the cost per wash, per week and per year from the energy label figure or from the machine’s power rating, and can compare two machines. You enter your own electricity rate, so the answer reflects your tariff.

Last updated: 19 October 2026

How do you want to work out the energy per wash?
Your machine

On the energy label, for the Eco 40-60 programme.

Your electricity and your washing

From your bill or supplier account.

Optional: off-peak tariff
Optional: compare a second machine

How it works

Method A uses the figure on the energy label. Bosch says the label shows weighted energy consumption in kWh per 100 operating cycles, measured on the Eco 40-60 programme [1]. Divide that by 100 to get the kWh for one wash. Method B multiplies the machine’s power rating in kilowatts by the hours a wash takes. Smart Energy GB says typical washing machines are rated between 1,000 and 2,400 W, and that you can work out the cost per hour from the rating and your unit rate [2].

The cost of a wash is the kWh for one wash multiplied by your unit rate in pence. A year is 52 weeks. Ofgem says the price cap is the maximum a supplier can charge for a unit of energy and the standing charge together, and that it does not limit your total bill [3]. The calculator uses only the unit rate, so your standing charge is left out.

Finding your unit rate

Use the rate on your bill or in your supplier account. Ofgem says the cap can vary by where you live and how you pay, and that it is set every three months [3]. We do not give a rate here because it changes.

A worked example

A machine with a label figure of 50 kWh per 100 cycles uses 0.5 kWh a wash. At a unit rate of 25p per kWh that is 12.5p a wash. With 4 washes a week, or 208 a year, the cost is £26.00 a year. A second machine at 70 kWh per 100 cycles uses 0.7 kWh a wash, which is 17.5p a wash and £36.40 a year, so £10.40 more.

Illustrative scenario: figures are examples, not quotes, valuations or market prices.

Off-peak tariffs

Smart Energy GB says time-of-use tariffs may offer lower prices at some times of day, often late evening, overnight or early morning, and that you need a smart meter to qualify. On a standard tariff, prices stay the same throughout the day, so there may be no cheaper time to wash [2]. If you enter an off-peak rate and the share of washes you do then, the calculator blends the two rates.

What the calculator cannot tell you

  • Programme. The label figure is for the Eco 40-60 programme only [1]. Hotter or longer programmes will use more. Smart Energy GB says washing at lower temperatures can save up to 60% of the energy used to heat water [2].
  • Method B is rougher. The power rating is a maker’s figure, and the sum assumes the machine draws its full rated power for the whole wash. A machine is unlikely to do that, so this method tends to give a high figure. Use the label figure if you can.
  • Other costs. Water, detergent and drying are not included.
  • Your tariff. Standing charges, tiered rates and changes during the year are not modelled.

Sources

  1. Energy label information, Bosch Home UK, bosch-home.co.uk. The page shows no date. Checked 19 October 2026.
  2. Best time to use the washing machine, Smart Energy GB, smartenergygb.org. Page last updated 17 August 2026. Checked 19 October 2026.
  3. Energy price cap and standing charges explained, Ofgem, ofgem.gov.uk. The page shows no date. Checked 19 October 2026.