An ENERGY STAR washer uses about 20% less energy — here’s how that adds up

Efficiency is the savings you keep even when no rebate exists. According to ENERGY STAR, the U.S. EPA’s program, a certified clothes washer uses about 20% less energy and about 30% less water than a standard machine.

That works out to roughly 14 gallons per load versus 20, and the page estimates about $530 in energy savings over the washer’s lifetime. Your actual figure depends on local electricity and water rates and how many loads you run, so treat these as ballpark, not a guarantee.

This is the quiet half of repair-vs-replace: an old unit can keep costing you every wash. OwnWise factors running cost into the decision — helping you see when a fair repair wins, and when a more efficient model genuinely pays for itself.