Appliances by the Numbers

What your appliances cost to run each year

Updated 2026-11-01 · ENERGY STAR data retrieved 2026-10-30 · Rate: 18.19¢/kWh, US average (EIA)

Bottom line

At the US average electricity price, a typical ENERGY STAR appliance costs between $20 a year (median for clothes washers) and $111 (median for clothes dryers) to run. Size and type explain most of the difference.

Annual kWh ÷ 5.5 ≈ dollars per year

At the US average price of 18.19¢ per kWh, every 5.5 kWh costs about $1 (1 ÷ 0.1819 = 5.50). A refrigerator rated at 550 kWh a year costs about $100 a year to run.

Bar chart: median annual running cost by appliance type at 18.19 cents per kWh.
Bars: median annual cost of ENERGY STAR certified models. Lines: middle 80% of models. Electric dryers only; full-size refrigerators only.

By appliance

Refrigerators

Typical $54–$125 a year (median $84, 460 kWh).

2,934 certified models

Room air conditioners

Typical $68–$164 a year (median $97, 532 kWh).

590 certified models

Clothes dryers

Typical $46–$111 a year (median $111, 608 kWh).

489 certified models

Clothes washers

Typical $14–$36 a year (median $20, 110 kWh).

418 certified models

Dehumidifiers

Typical $33–$96 a year (median $62, 340 kWh).

571 certified models

TVs

Typical $12–$61 a year (median $33, 184 kWh).

175 certified models

What this site is

Every number here comes from public federal data: the U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR certified product lists (rated annual kWh for each model) and the U.S. EIA's average electricity prices. Annual cost = rated kWh × price. There are no reviews, no hands-on tests and no store prices. See how we calculate and rates by state.