Model
Ellipse ELDF278W
Rank #374 means 373 of the 615 clothes dryer models we track cost less to run each year; the 80th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 80% of those models.
What does the Ellipse ELDF278W cost to run per year?
Do the math and the Ellipse ELDF278W's $113/yr puts it at rank #374 of 615, on the pricier side of the class. Normalized for capacity, it ranks ahead of 80% of clothes dryer models we track on efficiency, a genuinely strong showing. The CEF figure of 3.93 on this model captures combined energy factor, the main efficiency lever ENERGY STAR tracks for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Midea MLTE45N5CCG at $113/yr runs a little cheaper and the Samsung DVE51CG8005* at $119/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A clothes dryer typically stays in service for somewhere around 13 years; over that span, the Ellipse ELDF278W's $113/yr adds up to roughly $1469 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Crosley CFDMHE8105AW.
By the numbers
The Ellipse ELDF278W normalized against its whole class, so each figure means something.
What it costs you over time
Running cost is an every-year number, so it compounds. At $113/yr, here is what the Ellipse ELDF278W adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Ellipse ELDF278W costs about $1130. That is roughly $0 less than the class median, which would run closer to $1130 over the same ten years.
How the Ellipse ELDF278W compares
The clothes dryer class we track runs from $23 to $128 a year. At $113/yr, it sits right on the class median of $113, and it is about $90 a year more than the cheapest clothes dryer to run at $23.
What drives its running cost
At 8 cu ft, the Ellipse ELDF278W is a large clothes dryer for its class, which spans 3.8 to 9.2 cu ft with a median of 7.4 cu ft, and larger clothes dryer models generally cost more to run than smaller ones in the same class, simply because there is more to keep cold, spin, heat, or light. Beyond size, its CEF of 3.93, above the class median of 3.93, is the class's own efficiency yardstick, combined energy factor, and it is what separates two similarly sized models with different running costs.
- Heat source and Combined Energy Factor (CEF). CEF combines drying performance with standby and off-mode energy use; for a given drum size, a higher CEF means less energy per pound of laundry dried, and heat-pump models usually post the highest figures in the class.
- Drum capacity. Drum capacity sets how much laundry one cycle can hold, and heating a bigger volume of air generally costs more energy per cycle.
Common questions
Is the Ellipse ELDF278W cheap to run?
Not especially. At $113 a year it ranks #374 of 615 clothes dryer models we track, in the pricier part of its class to run, though its size and features may still justify that for your needs.
How much does the Ellipse ELDF278W cost per month?
Roughly $9.4/mo, spreading the $113/yr estimate evenly across twelve months at $0.1856/kWh. Actual monthly bills swing with your rate and usage pattern.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
We take the model's published annual energy use of 608 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $113 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Ellipse ELDF278W for its size?
80th percentile once size is factored in. That means its size-adjusted efficiency is a real factor in the running-cost figure above; its capacity plays a large role too.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 435 | Midea MLTE45N5CCG7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 434 | Midea MLTE45N6CWW7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 433 | Midea MLTE54N5CWWC7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 432 | Midea MLTE45N5CWWC7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 431 | Midea MLTE54N5CCG7.4 cu ft | $113 |
Source
ES_1125680_ELDF278W_051420260128425_3178630View certified clothes dryer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Ellipse and ELDF278W are used here for identification only and are not endorsements. Figures are computed by WattWise Labs from public ENERGY STAR data, not measured in our own lab.