Laundry Cost Calculator
Estimate the cost per wash and dryer load, plus weekly and yearly laundry costs, from energy and water use, detergent and your bills.
The energy label's yearly kWh assumes one wash a day, so divide it by 365. Cold washes use much less.
The dryer label's yearly kWh assumes one load a week, so divide it by 52.
Use the usage rate on your latest electricity bill.
Use the water usage charge on your bill; 1 kL is 1,000 litres.
Your results
Weekly cost breakdown
| Cost | Weekly |
|---|---|
| Electricity (washer and dryer) | $2.97 |
| Water | $1.08 |
| Detergent | $1.80 |
Calculation breakdown
- Cost per wash
- kWh × electricity price + litres ÷ 1,000 × water price + detergent
- Cost per dryer load
- dryer kWh × electricity price
- Weekly cost
- washes × cost per wash + dryer loads × cost per dryer load
Worked example
Six washes a week using 0.5 kWh and 60 litres each, with $0.30 of detergent, cost about $0.65 per wash at 33c/kWh and $3/kL. Adding two 3 kWh dryer loads ($0.99 each) brings the total to $5.85 a week, or about $304 a year.
Assumptions
- The default energy, water and price figures are examples — replace them with your machine's label or manual and your own bills.
- Excludes the cost of buying, repairing or replacing the machines.
- Electricity used to heat water outside the machine, such as from a hot water system, is not included.
How this calculator works
Enter your weekly washing and dryer loads, the electricity and water each load uses, detergent cost and your electricity and water prices to see the cost per load and your weekly, monthly and yearly laundry running costs.
Work out the cost of each wash and dryer load
A washing machine load costs the electricity it uses, the water it draws and the detergent added. Multiply the kilowatt-hours by your electricity usage rate, the litres by your water usage price per kilolitre, and add the detergent cost.
Clothes dryers usually cost more per load than washing because they use much more electricity. With the example figures, a wash costs about 65 cents and a 3 kWh dryer load costs 99 cents at 33 cents per kWh.
Reading energy labels and your bills
The yearly energy figure on a washing machine's energy rating label assumes one wash a day, so dividing it by 365 gives an estimate per wash. Dryer labels assume one load a week, so divide the dryer figure by 52.
Your electricity bill shows the usage rate in cents per kWh, and your water bill shows the usage charge per kilolitre. Renters may not pay water usage directly, in which case set the water price to zero.
Official sources and assumptions
Check the official or authoritative references used to review this calculator's rates, formulas and assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate cost per load at home?
Take the yearly kWh on your washing machine's energy rating label and divide it by 365, because the label assumes one wash a day. Water use per wash is usually listed on the water rating label or in the manual.
Does this include dryer costs?
Yes. Enter your dryer loads per week and the electricity each load uses. Dryer labels assume one load a week, so divide the label's yearly kWh by 52.
Can I compare home washing with a laundromat?
Multiply the laundromat's wash and dry prices by your weekly loads, then compare that total with the weekly home cost shown here.
Content responsibility
Maintained by CalcAussie and last updated 15 October 2026. Checks applied: calculation method, worked examples, Australian terminology, material assumptions, official references where an external rule applies, and user-facing limitations.
Calculator results remain estimates based on the figures entered. Check material decisions against current official information and report a suspected error so it can be reproduced and corrected.
Results are estimates only and are not financial, tax, legal or credit advice.