Running cost for the GE GTW685B*L***
At 150 kWh/yr, the GE GTW685B*L***'s ENERGY STAR certification puts it more expensive than most models in its category to run against every other certified washing machine.
That $28 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 washing machine
The category average is 123 kWh/yr; this model runs 22% above it, ranking 315 of 398 washing machines tracked here for running cost. That average is drawn from all 398 washing machines ENERGY STAR currently certifies, not an outside number, a $5/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 GE GTW685B*L***: GE GFW510S*V*** ($28/yr, 150 kWh/yr), then GE Profile PFQ83HSHW*** ($28/yr, 150 kWh/yr).
Same brand, different models
Ranked 17 of GE's 41 certified washing machines, this sits between the GFW148S*M*** ($18/yr, the brand's cheapest) and the GTW540A*P*** ($33/yr, its priciest).
What this adds up to over time
NAHB's Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components puts a typical washing machine's service life at 10 years; run the GE GTW685B*L*** that long and it costs about $282 in electricity, on top of whatever it cost to buy.
Is it worth replacing?
At $28/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 GTW685B*L*** or its replacement.
Compare current ENERGY STAR certified washing machines before buying.
If you're keeping it
$28/year to run is the predictable cost of the GE GTW685B*L***; a protection plan covers the unpredictable one, a repair bill.
Where this number comes from
Ranked 315 of 398, the GE GTW685B*L*** sits in the middle of the washing machine category, see the guide to why your state changes this number for the other half of the math. The 150 kWh/yr figure is ENERGY STAR's own certification, not a wattage estimate; exact dataset IDs are on the data sources page.