Model
Lg WM8980H*A
Rank #157 means 156 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 83rd efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 83% of those models.
What does the Lg WM8980H*A cost to run per year?
The Lg WM8980H*A holds rank #157 of 388 on running cost, at about $19 a year, an unremarkable but typical figure for the class. Its size-adjusted efficiency percentile of 83 sits well above the class median, a clearly above-average efficiency result. At a IMEF of 3.1, its integrated modified energy factor is the single figure that best explains how it earns its running-cost number.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Lg WM8900H*A at $19/yr runs a little cheaper and the Lg WSEX200H*A at $19/yr runs a little more, a sense of how tightly models are packed at this point in the ranking. A washing machine typically stays in service for somewhere around 10 years; over that span, the Lg WM8980H*A's $19/yr adds up to roughly $190 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Lg WM8900H*A.
By the numbers
The Lg WM8980H*A 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 $19/yr, here is what the Lg WM8980H*A adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Lg WM8980H*A costs about $190. That is roughly $10 less than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Lg WM8980H*A compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $19/yr, it runs about $1 a year cheaper than the class median of $20, and it is about $12 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 5.2 cu ft, the Lg WM8980H*A is a large washing machine for its class, which spans 1.9 to 6 cu ft with a median of 4.5 cu ft, size is usually the single biggest lever behind a running-cost figure, and at this end of the range there is more capacity to service, which tends to push the number up. Beyond size, its IMEF of 3.1, above the class median of 2.76, is the class's own efficiency yardstick, integrated modified energy factor, and it is what separates two similarly sized models with different running costs.
- Spin and wash efficiency (IMEF). IMEF is this class's core efficiency yardstick; two washers with the same drum size can carry meaningfully different IMEF figures and running costs.
- Drum volume. A larger-capacity washer can wash more per load, which can lower cost per pound of laundry, but it also draws more water and energy per cycle if you are not filling it.
- Water heating. Most washers rely on your home's hot water supply, but internal-heater sanitize or hot-wash cycles use meaningfully more electricity than a cold or warm wash.
Common questions
Is the Lg WM8980H*A cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $19/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #157 of 388, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Lg WM8980H*A cost per month?
About $1.62 a month, which is the $19 annual estimate spread across twelve months at the US average rate of $0.1856/kWh. Your own bill scales with your local electricity rate and how heavily you use it.
How is this running-cost figure calculated?
The formula is annual kWh times price per kWh: 105 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $19 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Lg WM8980H*A for its size?
83rd percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 157 | Lg WM8900H*A5.2 cu ft | $19 |
| 156 | Lg WM6700H*A5 cu ft | $19 |
| 155 | Lg WM6500H*A5 cu ft | $19 |
| 154 | Lg WM5700H*A4.5 cu ft | $19 |
| 153 | Lg WM5500H*A4.5 cu ft | $19 |
Source
ES_1118034_WM8980H*A_01042022030848_80111020View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Lg and WM8980H*A 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.