Model
Midea MLH52N5AWW
Rank #203 means 202 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 58th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 58% of those models.
What does the Midea MLH52N5AWW cost to run per year?
Among the 388 washing machine models we track, the Midea MLH52N5AWW's $21/yr running cost ranks it #203, close to dead center. Efficiency-wise, once size is accounted for, it sits right around the class median, ahead of 58% of the models we track. The IMEF figure of 2.76 on this model captures integrated modified energy factor, the main efficiency lever ENERGY STAR tracks for this class.
Immediately around it on the leaderboard, the Midea MLH52N3AWW at $21/yr runs a little cheaper and the Midea MLHW52S6BGG at $21/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 Midea MLH52N5AWW's $21/yr adds up to roughly $210 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
Also sold as: Midea MLH45N1AWW.
By the numbers
The Midea MLH52N5AWW 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 $21/yr, here is what the Midea MLH52N5AWW adds up to before purchase price, water, or repairs enter the math.
Left running for a decade at today's US average rate, the Midea MLH52N5AWW costs about $210. That is roughly $10 more than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Midea MLH52N5AWW compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $21/yr, it runs about $1 a year above the class median of $20, and it is about $14 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 4.5 cu ft, the Midea MLH52N5AWW is a mid-size washing machine for its class, which spans 1.9 to 6 cu ft with a median of 4.5 cu ft, right in the middle of the capacity range, so capacity is roughly a wash compared with the rest of the class. Its IMEF of 2.76, above the class median of 2.76, reflects integrated modified energy factor: a higher figure means it wrings more useful work out of every kilowatt-hour, so it is the efficiency lever to weigh against raw size.
- 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 Midea MLH52N5AWW cheap to run?
Roughly, yes. Its $21/yr figure is close to the class median, ranking #203 of 388, neither a bargain nor a splurge on running cost.
How much does the Midea MLH52N5AWW cost per month?
About $1.73 a month, which is the $21 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: 112 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $21 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Midea MLH52N5AWW for its size?
58th percentile once size is factored in, a fairly typical result for the class.
Cheaper to run in the same class
| Rank | Model | Cost/yr |
|---|---|---|
| 204 | Midea MLH52N3AWW4.5 cu ft | $21 |
| 203 | Midea MLH45N1AWW4.5 cu ft | $21 |
| 202 | Midea MFH180-G1304DS/F01E-US4.5 cu ft | $21 |
| 201 | Vesta VWSHongkong27WH4.6 cu ft | $20 |
| 200 | Summit SLWW24032.2 cu ft | $20 |
Source
ES_1030337_MLH52N5AWW_101920220339304_8067045View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Midea and MLH52N5AWW 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.