What the LG DLG8401*E costs to run
At 685 kWh/yr, the LG DLG8401*E's ENERGY STAR certification puts it more expensive than most models in its category to run against every other certified clothes dryer.
The $129 figure above uses the simple average of all 51 published state rates. Pick your state for the real number.
LG DLG8401*E against the category
That's 19.8% above the clothes dryer category average of 572 kWh/yr, and ranks 482 of 639 certified clothes dryers for annual running cost, 1 being cheapest. The category average comes from every clothes dryer ENERGY STAR currently certifies (639 models), not an outside benchmark, about $21/year above that average at the national rate. See the methodology page.
What sits beside it in the ranking
LG DLG8481*E ($129/yr, 685 kWh/yr) costs a little more to run than the LG DLG8401*E. LG DLG8201* ($129/yr, 685 kWh/yr) costs a little less.
Comparing LG's own models
LG makes 144 ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers; this one ranks 108 of 144 for running cost, between the brand's cheapest, the DLHC1455* at $25/yr, and its priciest, the WSGX201H*A at $129/yr.
LG DLG8401*E over 12 years
Over the 12-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the LG DLG8401*E costs roughly $1,545 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Shopping for a new one
At $129/year, this is on the expensive side for a clothes dryer; the cheapest certified model in this category runs about $23/year, worth knowing before buying either the LG DLG8401*E or its replacement.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
Protecting what you have
Whether or not the LG DLG8401*E ever needs replacing, a repair is the more common failure for a clothes dryer, one a protection plan budgets for ahead of time.
Sourcing
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 685 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 482 of 639 certified dryers for running cost, the LG DLG8401*E is also worth reading with a caveat specific to this category: the methodology page explains why ENERGY STAR's own combined-energy figure for dryers can overstate the electric bill impact of a gas model.