Whirlpool WED5720R Running Cost (Clothes Dryer)
What the Whirlpool WED5720R costs to run
The Whirlpool WED5720R is certified by ENERGY STAR at 608 kWh a year, about average for its category to run among clothes dryers currently certified.
That $114 is priced at 18.8¢/kWh, the average of all 51 state rates this site tracks. Your own state's rate is one click away.
How the Whirlpool WED5720R compares to other clothes dryers
The category average is 572 kWh/yr; this model runs 6.3% above it, ranking 383 of 639 clothes dryers tracked here for running cost. 639 certified clothes dryers, one average, about $7/year of daylight between it and this model; the full methodology has the rest.
Neighbouring models
Right next to the Whirlpool WED5720R on that list: Whirlpool WED5620H ($114/yr, 608 kWh/yr) runs slightly less, while Whirlpool WED6605M ($114/yr, 608 kWh/yr) runs slightly more.
Comparing Whirlpool's own models
Ranked 26 of Whirlpool's 114 certified clothes dryers, this sits between the WHD3090G ($43/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the WGF5727T ($129/yr, its priciest).
Cost over its typical lifespan
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components puts a typical clothes dryer's service life at 12 years; run the Whirlpool WED5720R that long and it costs about $1,372 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Shopping for a new one
Efficient as certified clothes dryers go, $114/year is a reasonable baseline if you're comparing what else is on the market.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
If you're keeping it
A clothes dryer like the Whirlpool WED5720R is a real household expense whether or not it needs replacing yet; a protection plan is one way to budget for a repair rather than a full replacement.
How this was checked
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 608 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 383 of 639 certified dryers for running cost, the Whirlpool WED5720R 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. The rest of what changes this number, by state rather than by model, is in the guide to why your state changes this number.