Whirlpool WGD6720R Running Cost (Clothes Dryer)
Whirlpool WGD6720R: running cost
ENERGY STAR certifies the Whirlpool WGD6720R at 687 kWh/yr, more expensive than most models in its category to run for its category.
The $129 figure above uses the simple average of all 51 published state rates. Pick your state for the real number.
Where this ranks
That's 20.1% above the clothes dryer category average of 572 kWh/yr, and ranks 631 of 639 certified clothes dryers for annual running cost, 1 being cheapest. Every one of the 639 currently-certified clothes dryers feeds that average, putting this model about $22/year over it. See how it's calculated on the how it is calculated page.
The closest alternatives by cost
Sorted by running cost among clothes dryers, one step cheaper is Whirlpool WGD6620H ($129/yr, 687 kWh/yr), and one step pricier is Whirlpool WGD7120H ($129/yr, 687 kWh/yr).
Same brand, different models
Whirlpool makes 114 ENERGY STAR certified clothes dryers; this one ranks 106 of 114 for running cost, between the brand's cheapest, the WHD3090G at $43/yr, and its priciest, the WGF5727T at $129/yr.
Whirlpool WGD6720R over 12 years
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components puts a typical clothes dryer's service life at 12 years; run the Whirlpool WGD6720R that long and it costs about $1,550 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Weighing a replacement
Running above the category average, $129/year is exactly the kind of number that makes a newer, more efficient model pay for itself faster.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
Protecting what you have
A clothes dryer like the Whirlpool WGD6720R 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.
The data behind this page
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 687 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 631 of 639 certified dryers for running cost, the Whirlpool WGD6720R 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.