Model
Whirlpool WED4720R**
Rank #299 means 298 of the 615 clothes dryer models we track cost less to run each year; the 50th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 50% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WED4720R** cost to run per year?
At $113 a year to run, the Whirlpool WED4720R** sits close to the middle of its class on cost, ranking #299 of 615 clothes dryer models we track. Once capacity is factored in, its efficiency percentile of 50 is fairly typical for the class, neither a standout nor a laggard. 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 MLE52N7AWW at $113/yr runs a little cheaper and the Whirlpool YWED5220R** at $113/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 Whirlpool WED4720R**'s $113/yr adds up to roughly $1469 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Amana NED5800H**.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WED4720R** 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 Whirlpool WED4720R** adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Whirlpool WED4720R** 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 Whirlpool WED4720R** 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 7.4 cu ft, the Whirlpool WED4720R** is a small clothes dryer for its class, which spans 3.8 to 9.2 cu ft with a median of 7.4 cu ft, less capacity to service is usually the first reason a running-cost figure lands on the low side, before efficiency even enters the picture. The CEF of 3.93 on this model, above the class median of 3.93, measures combined energy factor; it is the number to compare directly against another model's CEF if capacity is similar.
- 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 Whirlpool WED4720R** cheap to run?
It is about average. At $113 a year it ranks #299 of 615 clothes dryer models we track, close to the middle of its class on running cost.
How much does the Whirlpool WED4720R** 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 Whirlpool WED4720R** for its size?
50th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 396 | Midea MLE52N7AWW8 cu ft | $113 |
| 395 | Whirlpool YWED5220LR**7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 394 | Whirlpool WED5220LR**7.4 cu ft | $113 |
| 393 | Electrolux ELFE7626***8 cu ft | $113 |
| 392 | Aeg DHP2404.5 cu ft | $113 |
Source
ES_22856_WED4720R**_010920251431631_5938969View certified clothes dryer listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WED4720R** 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.