GE GTW491BMR Running Cost (Washing Machine)
GE GTW491BMR: running cost
The GE GTW491BMR is certified by ENERGY STAR at 156 kWh a year, one of the more expensive models in its category to run among washing machines currently certified.
The $29 figure above uses the simple average of all 51 published state rates. Pick your state for the real number.
GE GTW491BMR against the category
That's 26.8% above the washing machine category average of 123 kWh/yr, and ranks 327 of 398 certified washing machines for annual running cost, 1 being cheapest. The category average comes from every washing machine ENERGY STAR currently certifies (398 models), not an outside benchmark, about $6/year above that average at the national rate. See the methodology page.
What sits beside it in the ranking
GE GTW685BMR ($29/yr, 156 kWh/yr) costs a little more to run than the GE GTW491BMR. GE GTW490BMR ($29/yr, 156 kWh/yr) costs a little less.
Same brand, different models
GE makes 41 ENERGY STAR certified washing machines; this one ranks 19 of 41 for running cost, between the brand's cheapest, the GFW148SM at $18/yr, and its priciest, the GTW540AP at $33/yr.
Cost over its typical lifespan
10 years is NAHB's typical service life for this category; at $29/year, the GE GTW491BMR adds up to about $293 in electricity over that span.
Weighing a replacement
At $29/year, this is on the expensive side for a washing machine; the cheapest certified model in this category runs about $7/year, worth knowing before buying either the GE GTW491BMR or its replacement.
Worth comparing a few current certified models before deciding.
Protecting what you have
A washing machine like the GE GTW491BMR 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.
Sourcing
The full Washing Machine category page shows all 398 washing machines ranked by cost; the state-rate guide covers the half of this number that isn't the appliance. The 156 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.