Whirlpool WED6720R Running Cost (Clothes Dryer)
What the Whirlpool WED6720R costs to run
The Whirlpool WED6720R is certified by ENERGY STAR at 608 kWh a year, about average for its category to run among clothes dryers currently certified.
The $114 figure above uses the simple average of all 51 published state rates. Pick your state for the real number.
Whirlpool WED6720R against the category
That's 6.3% above the clothes dryer category average of 572 kWh/yr, and ranks 386 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 $7/year above that average at the national rate. See the methodology page.
What sits beside it in the ranking
Whirlpool WED7120H ($114/yr, 608 kWh/yr) costs a little more to run than the Whirlpool WED6720R. Whirlpool WED6620H ($114/yr, 608 kWh/yr) costs a little less.
Comparing Whirlpool's own models
Whirlpool makes 114 ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers; this one ranks 29 of 114 for running cost, between the brand's cheapest, the WHD3090G at $43/yr, and its priciest, the WGF5727T at $129/yr.
Cost over its typical lifespan
12 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $114/year, the Whirlpool WED6720R adds up to about $1,372 in electricity over that span.
Is it worth replacing?
The Whirlpool WED6720R is already efficient for its category at $114/year. If you're shopping and comparing options, this is roughly what a well-chosen new clothes dryer costs to run.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers before buying.
Protecting what you have
Whether or not the Whirlpool WED6720R 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 608 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 386 of 639 certified dryers for running cost, the Whirlpool WED6720R 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. Whether a repair or a full replacement dryer makes more sense once the electric bill is this well known is covered in the guide to when replacing one pays off.