Laundry Cost Calculator

About the Laundry Cost Calculator

Laundry is one of those household jobs that never ends, and every load has a cost that most people never think about: the electricity to heat the water and spin the drum, the water itself, the detergent, and — often the biggest part — the electricity for the tumble dryer. A few pennies or cents a load does not sound like much, but a family doing five or more loads a week runs hundreds of loads a year.

This laundry cost calculator works out the cost per load of doing laundry at home, and the cost per week, per month and per year. It includes the washing machine's electricity, the water, the detergent and the tumble dryer, with the share of loads you tumble-dry, and it compares the total with a laundromat price if you enter one.

How to Use the Laundry Cost Calculator

Enter the number of loads a week.

Enter the share of loads tumble-dried — 100 percent if every load goes in the dryer, 0 if everything dries on a line or rack.

Adjust the washer energy, dryer energy, water and detergent per load if you know them; the defaults are typical figures.

Enter your electricity price per kWh and water price per cubic metre.

Optionally, enter a laundromat price per load for washing and drying.

How Laundry Cost Is Worked Out

  washer     =  kWh per wash × electricity price
  water      =  litres per wash ÷ 1,000 × water price per m³
  dryer      =  kWh per dry × electricity price × share of loads dried
  per load   =  washer + water + detergent + dryer
  a year     =  per load × loads a week × 52

Step-by-Step Example

Five loads a week, all tumble-dried: 0.6 kWh per wash, 2.5 kWh per dry, 50 litres of water, 0.20 of detergent, electricity at 0.16 per kWh and water at 2.00 per m³.

  Washer:     0.6 × 0.16              =  0.096
  Water:      50 ÷ 1,000 × 2.00       =  0.10
  Detergent:                          =  0.20
  Dryer:      2.5 × 0.16 × 100%       =  0.40
  Per load:                           =  about 0.80
  A year:     0.796 × 5 × 52          =  206.96  (3.98 a week)
  Laundromat: 5.50 × 260              =  1,430.00, so 1,223.04 more

Where the Money Goes

In the example, the tumble dryer is half the cost of every load. Dryers use a lot of energy because they have to evaporate several litres of water from a load of wet clothes. Washing machines use most of their energy heating water: a cold or 30 °C wash uses far less than a 60 °C one. Detergent is the next largest cost, and many people use more than they need. Water itself is usually the smallest part, though in areas with high water and sewerage charges it matters more.

Washing Temperature

Modern detergents are designed to clean well at 30 °C, and most everyday laundry does not need a hotter wash. A wash at 30 °C can use around a third less energy than one at 40 °C, and less than half of a 60 °C cycle. Hotter washes still make sense for towels, bedding, and clothes that need sanitising, such as after illness. Eco programmes take longer but use less energy, because they soak the clothes and heat less water.

Drying Without the Dryer

Line drying outdoors costs nothing and is gentle on clothes. Indoor drying racks work well too, especially near a window or with a dehumidifier, which can dry clothes for a fraction of the cost of a tumble dryer. If you do use a dryer, spin the clothes at the highest speed the fabric allows first, because the more water the washer removes, the less the dryer has to evaporate. Clean the lint filter every load, and dry full but not overstuffed loads.

Types of Dryer

A vented or condenser dryer typically uses 2 to 3 kWh a load. A heat-pump dryer recycles the heat and uses around 1 kWh, less than half as much, although it costs more to buy and takes longer. For a household that tumble-dries most loads, a heat-pump dryer can pay back the extra cost within a few years. Enter your own dryer's energy per load to see the difference.

Laundromats and Shared Machines

For people without their own machines, a laundromat or shared laundry room can be the only option. At 5.50 a load for washing and drying, a household doing five loads a week spends over 1,400 a year. Where space allows, buying a washer — and line drying — often pays for itself within a year or two. Where it does not, washing larger loads less often, and drying at home, cuts the bill.

Caring for Your Machines

A washing machine that is kept clean and descaled runs more efficiently. Run an empty hot cycle every month or two, clean the detergent drawer and door seal, and empty the filter. A dryer with a blocked filter or vent takes longer and uses more energy on every load.

Understanding Your Result

Laundry cost is the yearly cost of doing laundry at home.

Per load gives the cost of a single load.

Breakdown separates the washer, water, detergent and dryer.

Per week and month gives shorter periods and the loads a year.

Energy and water gives the yearly electricity and water used.

Laundromat compares the cost with a laundromat price.

Worth knowing points out the biggest saving for your figures.

When Should You Use This Calculator?

Deciding whether to buy a washer or dryer.

Comparing home laundry with a laundromat.

Choosing a heat-pump dryer or another model.

Cutting household bills.

Sharing laundry costs in a shared house.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting the dryer, often the biggest cost.

Washing everything hot.

Using too much detergent.

Running half loads.

Ignoring water and sewerage charges on a metered supply.