Model
Whirlpool WFW92HEF**
Rank #57 means 56 of the 388 washing machine models we track cost less to run each year; the 88th efficiency percentile means it uses less energy for its size than 88% of those models.
What does the Whirlpool WFW92HEF** cost to run per year?
Among the 388 washing machine models we track, the Whirlpool WFW92HEF**'s $17/yr running cost ranks it #57, comfortably in the cheap-to-run group. Few washing machine models we track beat it on size-adjusted efficiency; it edges out 88% of the class once capacity is normalized. At a IMEF of 2.92, 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 Whirlpool WFW7540F** at $16/yr runs a little cheaper and the Electrolux ELFW4222*** 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 Whirlpool WFW92HEF**'s $17/yr adds up to roughly $170 in electricity alone, before purchase price or repairs.
By the numbers
The Whirlpool WFW92HEF** 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 Whirlpool WFW92HEF** 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 WFW92HEF** 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 Whirlpool WFW92HEF** 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 4.5 cu ft, the Whirlpool WFW92HEF** 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, neither the size advantage of a small unit nor the size penalty of a large one applies here, so its running cost is a fairer test of efficiency alone. Beyond size, its IMEF of 2.92, 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 Whirlpool WFW92HEF** cheap to run?
Yes. Its $17/yr running cost puts it at rank #57 of 388, below what most washing machine models we track cost to run.
How much does the Whirlpool WFW92HEF** cost per month?
About $1.38 a month, which is the $17 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: 89 kWh from ENERGY STAR times the US average of $0.1856/kWh comes to about $17 a year. It covers electricity only, not the purchase price, water, or installation.
How efficient is the Whirlpool WFW92HEF** for its size?
88th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | Whirlpool WFW7540F**4.5 cu ft | $16 |
| 55 | Maytag MHW3500F**4.5 cu ft | $16 |
| 54 | Maytag MHW5630M**4.5 cu ft | $16 |
| 53 | Electrolux ELTG7600***4.5 cu ft | $16 |
| 52 | Electrolux ELTE760C*** -4.5 cu ft | $16 |
Source
ES_22856_WFW92HEF**_04262016222016_9216351View certified washing machine listingsENERGY STAR data as of July 2026Whirlpool and WFW92HEF** 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.