What is the actual power consumption of a washing machine?

A washing machine is a great example of engineering ingenuity that converts a laborious process of washing clothes into an effortless one. While the end result of getting clean clothes may seem effortless, there are factors like energy and water consumption that dictate how the machine works. The energy consumed by your washing machine, in particular, will dictate your electricity bill.

So, if the factors for choosing a great washing machine boil down to brand, type, and features then power consumption is an equally important metric. However, the power consumption stated by the manufacturer doesn’t directly correlate to actual power consumption and there is a nifty way to find out how much actual power gets consumed by your washing machine.

How much electricity does a washing machine use

On an average, a washing machine consumes between 400 to 2,500 watts (W) of electricity depending on the capacity and type. In India, these washing machines also use a 15 or 16A socket and connect to a 230-volt outlet. Now, the actual power consumption of your washing machine depends on how often you run your machine, and the overall energy consumption will vary over time.

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To understand the actual power consumption, we must look at the usage in three different scenarios. The first scenario is where the washing machine is used once a week, the second is where it is used three times a week, and the third is where the washing machine is used every day of the week. Now, let’s assume that the washing machine has a power consumption of 1000W and uses a wash cycle that takes one hour then the actual power consumption will be:

1. If the washing machine runs once a week then the power consumption will be 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity per week or 4.4kWh per month and 52kWh per year.

2. If the same washing machine is run three times a week then the power consumption will come to 3kWh per week, 13.2kWh per month and 156kWh per year.

3. If you run a 1,000W washing machine every day, the actual power consumption will be 7kWh of electricity per week, 30kWh per month, and 365kWh per year.

The above data is a reference based on which you can calculate the power consumption of your washing machine. For example, if you use the Croma 6kg 5 Star fully automatic front load washing machine with a rated power consumption of 2,050W three times a week for one hour wash cycle each, then the actual power consumption will be 6.15kWh per week, 26.4kWh per month, and 320.7kWh per year.

In India, 1 unit of electricity is equivalent to 1kWh, so the power consumption for the above-mentioned washing machine will be equivalent to 6.15 units per week, 26.4 units per month, and 320.7 units per year. Multiply that by the rate of an electricity unit in your area to get an idea of the operating cost.  In addition to these values, there are other factors that influence your washing machine’s power consumption.

Factors affecting your washing machine's actual power consumption

The basic power consumption of your washing machine is dictated by the model and the type with front-load washing machines being more energy and water efficient than top-load ones. However, it must be noted that the actual power consumption will vary over the course of the year, and a washing machine with a 5-star rating will consume much less energy than a similar model with a 3-star or 4-star rating.

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Apart from the model, type and energy rating, your washing machine’s actual power consumption is also influenced by the frequency of usage and the wash cycle selection. It may come as a surprise but water temperature and load size also play a role where hot water cycles tend to increase power consumption and full load capacity is more energy-efficient than running smaller but frequent loads.