What the Whirlpool WDT550SAP* costs to run
At 240 kWh/yr, the Whirlpool WDT550SAP*'s ENERGY STAR certification puts it about average for its category to run against every other certified dishwasher.
That $45 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.
Efficient, or not, for a dishwasher
The category average is 232 kWh/yr; this model runs 3.4% above it, ranking 731 of 737 dishwashers tracked here for running cost. That average is drawn from all 737 dishwashers ENERGY STAR currently certifies, not an outside number, a $2/year gap from this model at the national rate. Full sourcing is in the sourcing notes.
Right next to it on the list
A rank or two either side of the Whirlpool WDT550SAP*: Whirlpool WDT531HAP** ($45/yr, 240 kWh/yr), then Whirlpool WDT751SAP** ($45/yr, 240 kWh/yr).
Within the Whirlpool lineup
Ranked 8 of Whirlpool's 11 certified dishwashers, this sits between the UDPS5118SP ($41/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the WDTF5024S** ($45/yr, its priciest).
Whirlpool WDT550SAP* over 9 years
Over the 9-year service life NAHB reports for this category, running the Whirlpool WDT550SAP* costs roughly $406 in electricity, separate from the purchase price.
Shopping for a new one
Efficient as certified dishwashers go, $45/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
At $45/year just to run, a dishwasher is worth protecting against an unplanned repair bill on top of that.
Where this number comes from
Nothing here is estimated from a nameplate wattage; the 240 kWh/yr is ENERGY STAR's own certified figure for this model. Ranked 731 of 737, the Whirlpool WDT550SAP* sits in the middle of the dishwasher category, see the guide to why your state changes this number for the other half of the math.