Model
Samsung WF51CG80**A*
Rank #72 means 71 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 95th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 95% of those models.
What does the Samsung WF51CG80**A* cost to run per year?
The Samsung WF51CG80**A* costs about $17 a year to run and sits near the top of the cheapest-to-run leaderboard, rank #72 of 388. Efficiency-wise, once its capacity is accounted for, it edges out 95% of the class, about as strong a result as this ranking produces. 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 Samsung WF45B63**A* at $17/yr runs a little cheaper and the Samsung WF46BB67**A* at $17/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 Samsung WF51CG80**A*'s $17/yr adds up to roughly $170 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Samsung WF51CG80**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 $17/yr, here is what the Samsung WF51CG80**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 Samsung WF51CG80**A* costs about $170. That is roughly $30 less than the class median, which would run closer to $200 over the same ten years.
How the Samsung WF51CG80**A* compares
The washing machine class we track runs from $7 to $58 a year. At $17/yr, it runs about $3 a year cheaper than the class median of $20, and it is about $10 a year more than the cheapest washing machine to run at $7.
What drives its running cost
At 5.1 cu ft, the Samsung WF51CG80**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, and larger washing machine 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. Its IMEF of 3.1, 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). A higher Integrated Modified Energy Factor means the machine wrings more useful washing (and a drier spin) out of every kilowatt-hour and gallon it uses.
- Drum volume. Drum volume sets the ceiling on how much a single cycle can wash, and it is usually the first driver of a washer's per-cycle energy use.
- Water heating. Cycle temperature, more than drum size, is usually what separates a cheap wash cycle from an expensive one on models with an internal water heater.
Common questions
Is the Samsung WF51CG80**A* cheap to run?
Yes, relatively. At $17 a year it ranks #72 of 388 washing machine models we track, in the cheaper part of its class to run.
How much does the Samsung WF51CG80**A* cost per month?
Roughly $1.44/mo, spreading the $17/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 93 kWh from ENERGY STAR and multiply it by the US average residential electricity rate of $0.1856/kWh, giving about $17 a year. It is an electricity-only estimate and does not include purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Samsung WF51CG80**A* for its size?
95th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 71 | Samsung WF45B63**A*4.5 cu ft | $17 |
| 70 | Samsung WF45A64**A*4.5 cu ft | $17 |
| 69 | Samsung WW25FG6B****2.5 cu ft | $17 |
| 68 | Samsung WW25FG5B****2.5 cu ft | $17 |
| 67 | Samsung WW25B69**A*2.5 cu ft | $17 |
Source
ES_1023593_WF51CG80**A*_07272023180622_80176628View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Samsung and WF51CG80**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.