Replacing Your Energy-Draining Washing Machine

Mar 02, 2010 | Energy Efficiency, Water Conservation

Snapshot | Savings | How to choose | Environmental benefits | Rebates | Take action!

If your washing machine is 10 years old or more, it's worth getting a new one. A new efficient model will cut in half the energy and water you use for laundry. With those savings, it can pay for itself over its lifetime.

Many high-efficiency washers are "front-loaders," which means they have doors in the front, not on the top. This uses much less water because they tumble clothes in a small pool of water, using gravity to get them clean. Your big savings come from eliminating the cost to heat those extra gallons of water.

The second way they save is by spinning your clothes dryer. Faster spin cycles extract more water from clothes, so they can spend less time in the dryer-or none at all.

Replace your old water-guzzling washing machine with an efficient to save money in 4 ways:

1. Slash your hot water use. New models use less water, so hot washing cycles require less gas- or electric-powered hot water. Today's models use an average of 22 gallons per load. Older washing machines, such as those made in the 1990s, use as much as 50 gallons.

An average family washing 5 loads of laundry every week (260 loads per year) at San Francisco Bay area energy and water rates can save anywhere from $30 to $75 per year (depending on the washing temperature settings) if they upgraded their 10-year-old washer to a new efficient one. If the washer costs about $500 to purchase, the savings will pay for it over its life (about 11 years on average) in savings over using your old washer.

They'll also save 7,280 gallons of water a year. The more loads washed and the more hot water used, the more water, energy, and money are saved with a new model.

2. Newly designed motors rotate the wash with less electricity.

3. They spin-dry clothes better, so dryer time is reduced.

4. Clothes last longer when cleaned in new washing machines because there's no vertical baffle to snag and pull at clothes.

New washing machines save water and reduce the gas or electricity you use to heat your water. It's an easy way to reduce greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change.

They also save 1,000s of gallons of water a year, reducing strain on California water resources.

When shopping for a new washer, consider:

1. Compare labels. Front-loading washing machines use gravity to agitate clothes to get them clean instead of the central baffle in a top loader, so they require less power. That said, some front loaders are equally efficient.

2. Choose ENERGY STAR-approved models. Compare kilowatt/hour use. Remember the figures on the bright yellow Energy Guide label are based on the machine's electrical use, mainly electrically heated water. So if you use a gas-fired water heater, this number doesn't apply to you, but it will give you a means of comparison.

3. Measure your laundry room. Factor in space for the door to open.

4. Look for local rebates. Check out our guide to water rebates in the San Francisco Bay Area.

5. For a downloadable list of ultra-efficient washing machines qualifying for PG&E rebates, click here.

Buy a new washing machine