What a washing machine costs to run in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania homes use 67 kWh a year on a washing machine. Priced on top of the rest of the bill, that costs $6.72 to $15.12 a year across 11 published Pennsylvania plans — a $8.40 gap. Checked September 2, 2026.
Every priced plan, average
| Plan | Per year | vs cheapest | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Service Add-On Heat Pumptime-of-use · needs a heat pump | $4.69 | −$2.03 | 8.4¢ |
| Residential Service Heatingtime-of-use · needs electric heating | $6.42 | −$0.30 | 11.2¢ |
| Residential Service✓ cheapestflat rate | $6.72 | — | 11.5¢ |
| Residential Heating Service (RH)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $6.76 | +$0.04 | 11.4¢ |
| Residential Service (R)flat rate | $7.80 | +$1.08 | 13.0¢ |
| Residential Service Add-On Heat Pumptime-of-use · needs a heat pump | $13.14 | +$6.42 | 21.1¢ |
| Residential Heating Service (RH)time-of-use · needs electric heating | $13.68 | +$6.96 | 21.6¢ |
| Residential Service Heatingtime-of-use · needs electric heating | $14.04 | +$7.32 | 22.4¢ |
| Residential Service (R) - TOUtime-of-use | $14.45 | +$7.73 | 22.9¢ |
| Residential Service (R)flat rate | $14.64 | +$7.92 | 23.2¢ |
| Residential Serviceflat rate | $15.12 | +$8.40 | 23.9¢ |
Cost across usage levels
The cheapest plan at each consumption level, showing whether the ranking holds as usage changes.
- Lighter use — cheapest $3.36 (Residential Service), dearest $7.68, a $4.32 spread
- Average — cheapest $6.72 (Residential Service), dearest $15.12, a $8.40 spread
- Heavier use — cheapest $8.52 (Residential Service), dearest $19.20, a $10.68 spread
What a washing machine costs here
Across 11 plans priced in Pennsylvania, a washing machine adds $6.72 to $15.12 a year — $0.56 to $1.26 a month. The median plan puts a washing machine at $14.45 a year.
Cheapest for a washing machine: Residential Service, Duquesne Light Co. Dearest: Residential Service, Duquesne Light Co.
Those 67 kWh are billed at 10.0¢–22.5¢, against a 22.9¢ whole-bill average on the median plan, so on these plans the two rates are close.
What Pennsylvania homes use
EIA's 2020 residential survey found 67 kWh a year across 549 sampled homes that run one, near the national 69 kWh. The middle half spans 34 kWh to 85 kWh, so a washing machine varies by 51 kWh between one household and another.
The washer's own motor and controls. Heating the water is billed to the water heater, not here. That average covers homes with a washing machine — 86% of homes here.
That makes a washing machine about 1% of the electricity a Pennsylvania home uses. The remaining 10,181 kWh is what a washing machine is billed on top of, and on a tiered or time-of-use plan that is what sets the rate it meets.
By provider
On each Pennsylvania provider's cheapest plan: Duquesne Light Co, $6.72; PECO Energy Co, $7.80.
PECO Energy Co charges $1.08 a year more than Duquesne Light Co on Residential Service for the same 67 kWh.
Light and heavy use of a washing machine
A household in the lighter quarter runs a washing machine for 34 kWh a year and pays $3.36 on the cheapest plan. One in the heavier quarter runs it for 85 kWh and pays $8.52 — $5.16 more for a washing machine on the same tariff.
Limits
A 2020 survey average for Pennsylvania, not a measurement of any one home, priced against the 11 Pennsylvania tariffs WattClear has ingested — not every plan sold there.
New to these terms? The methodology page explains tiered bands, time-of-use periods and fixed charges, and sets out exactly what the rate engine assumes.
Estimate — your actual bill may differ.
Tariff structures from NREL/OpenEI Utility Rate Database (CC0 1.0), retrieved September 2, 2026.
Location resolved through the US Census Bureau Geocoder (Public domain) at 40.4406, -79.9959.